Nine local gardens from across DeKalb County will be featured Saturday as part of the University of Illinois Extension's annual Master Gardeners Walk.
To participate in the walk, you will need a wristband, which can be purchased at the Extension office in the DeKalb County Farm bureau building, 1350 W. Prairie Dr., Sycamore, until 11:30 a.m. on the day of the walk.
Wristbands can also be purchased (by cash or check) at the following local vendors up until the day of the walk: Blumen Gardens (403 Edward St., Sycamore), The Garden Center (2270 Oakland Dr., Sycamore) and Glidden Florist (917 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb).
Participants are asked not to bring pets to the event. Here is a brief description of the gardens in this year's Garden Walk:
Haritsudare Gardens
The garden is a tapestry of greenery brightened with muted hues of pink, red, white, blue and purple flowers, and you might even spot some fairies as you wander through this sanctuary. Ferns, hostas and a variety of other plants grow in the garden. Flowerbeds contain a mix of shrubs, peonies, roses and perennials. Vegetables and herbs are potted for easy care and harvest.
Doland Garden
This garden has the feel of a small cottage. A white picket fence surrounds the yard and gardens, providing a backdrop for a variety of plants, including annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, and hydrangeas. Throughout the garden you'll find bird baths, bird and hummingbird feeders, and whimsical garden art. A quaint brick patio with a gas fire pit is another living space for family and friends. String patio lights add to the ambiance.
Brantner Gardens
Vintage pieces are scattered throughout the gardens. A winding stepping stone path leads to a quirky cottage garden with foxgloves, hollyhocks, Canterbury bells and hydrangeas. Throughout the gardens, creative use of vintage items adds charm to the various flower beds. Explore a small garden shed that once served as a rabbit box. Surrounded by a picket fence, you'll find a fairy garden with a vintage red wagon. As you wander, look for a vintage bicycle and an interesting nook with a planted floor lamp and a chair for reading or enjoying a cup of tea.
Krumenec Garden
The garden offers tranquility to visitors and a haven for wildlife. Much of the site is shaded, lending itself to foliage-focused landscaping that emphasizes form and texture. Mounded boxwoods, evergreens and perennials create a relaxed atmosphere. Hostas, astilbes, irises and penstemons bloom in late spring and early summer, adding color to the garden. Tri-colored beeches, crabapples nestled in dry streams, native grasses and other perennials complement drooping Norway spruce and meandering weeping cherry trees.
The French gardens around the pool have a more formal feel, decorated with cypress, boxwood and spruce topiaries of different heights and shapes. A vine arbor leads to a monarch butterfly stopover site. Native and ornamental perennials are mixed with annuals, helping to protect pollinators, hummingbirds and wintering birds.
Faivre Garden
The garden features a raised vegetable bed that produces fresh produce and a combination of native prairie plants that create a cottage garden feel. The backyard has a water feature and gas fireplace for enjoying with family and friends. It features a redbud tree and is filled with pots of shade-loving plants. The garden also contains one of the original bells from St. Albans School and Chapel, which was demolished circa 1964.
Lundgren Gardens
This garden, while rather eclectic, shows that a small space like a townhouse can provide a palette for people with a passion for gardening. The front of the townhouse is adorned with numerous pots filled with annuals, and around the corner are oriental lilies, knockout roses, hydrangeas, and peonies. The flower beds at the back are bordered by large pine trees, but are planted with herbs, daylilies, peonies, hibiscus, and snapdragons. The back patio is adorned with a fountain and several potted plants, as well as clematis.
Gardens at Old Mill Park
The botanical gardens feature fountains, gazebos and walking paths that attract a variety of birds and bees. Trees and shrubs provide a balanced foundation to this beautiful space. The gardens are beautifully designed with a variety of perennials and the addition of annuals fills out the remaining space, adding color as the seasons change.
Cook-Engstrom Gardens
Born from a love of antiques, this garden has been described as vintage. The creativity of reusing old containers as planters and old items as garden art is what makes this garden so special. The front garden is planted with black-eyed susans and cornflowers, giving it a rustic feel and showing how old things can be given new life.
Huber Gardens
Inspired by farm life, the garden features perennials, bulbs and annuals. The garden's diverse ornamental plants change with the seasons, ensuring plenty of fun throughout the growing season. The tranquility felt here will bring you closer to nature.
