Pleased Friday GPODers!
At present we’re wrapping up our unbelievable week on the 2024 Bitterroot Secret Backyard Tour™. I wish to begin by giving a giant shout out and thanks to Kielian DeWitt for providing to share this unbelievable tour with us, and for sending over the entire stunning pictures and insightful info on the gardens. Appropriately, we’re wrapping up the week in her wonderful house backyard.
However earlier than we dive into Kielian and her magical backyard, I wished to share a bit extra details about the tour itself and the affect it has had on the Bitterroot Valley group. Kielian offered some nice highlights that put into perspective how impactful it may be to assemble the group round gardens. Previously ten years they’ve:
Raised over $120,000 to donate to Valley charities
Donated to 11 totally different Valley non-profits
Showcased greater than 50 gardens; with solely 4 repeats!
Recruited over 200 volunteers
Loved over 3,000 new and repeat backyard guests
Hopefully this week has inspired you to hunt out an area backyard tour. If there aren’t any presently round you, possibly get some plant-loving pals collectively and encourage one another to share your gardens extra usually… you actually don’t know what a small concept can flip into when the group comes collectively. However sufficient from me, let’s dive into Kielian’s backyard:
As a younger woman in Colorado, Kielian remembers her mom and grandmother laughing in delight at seeing the tender younger shoots of spring, listening to them marvel at summer season’s boisterous progress and sharing within the expertise and pleasure of fall’s bountiful harvest. From these earliest reminiscences her curiosity grew right into a lifetime of gardening design, weed-pulling and the love of backyard artistry. Kielian has been honored 3 occasions over a number of years in 2 main gardening magazines and was awarded winner of the 2018 Gardenista Newbie Backyard of the 12 months for her entry, “Floral Serendipity within the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.” Husband, Chuck, has at all times been a keen confederate in control of weeds, watering and (ahem) limiting backyard ‘enlargement.’
Their wonderful property contains intensive flowerbeds surrounding the home, incorporating a large number of flowers, shrubs and vines (as many as she will encourage to thrive in our Montana local weather) and are complemented by established and colourful pocket gardens of herbs and greens, a boneyard, pumphouse and Harry Potter space (the place something black, white or bizarre is inspired to develop). The Meandering Meadow, a naturalistic backyard surrounding the pond, portrays a valiant however stunningly stunning battle towards weeds, gophers and voles.
Previously, the Dewitts did 90% of the work of their gardens however presently have the assistance of excellent pals Charlene and Sarah, and Garett who gives the heavy lifting and irrigation acumen.
Pink roses, snow-in-summer floor cowl (Cerastium tomentosum, Zones 3–7), astilbe and a late-blooming peony present colour and drama to the meandering path.
The Greenhouse patio holds courtroom to a persimmon tree (a fig, dragonfruit, and lychee tree are across the nook) and pots abound with annuals. Clematis, lupine, golden oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’, Zones 5–9) and potentilla fill within the background.
A wildflower meadow on the sting of the pond accents a shocking view of the Bitterroot Mountain vary.
Veronica, calendula, phlox, hosta, dianthus, barberry, Double Play® Gold spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Yan’, Zones 3–8), Bobo® hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata ‘ILVOBO’, Zones 3–8), foxglove, Tiger Eyes® sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’, Zones 3–8), and two clematis (Clematis ‘Jackmanii’, Zones 4–10 and an unknown pink selection) spill over each other.
‘Fascination’ Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’, Zones 3–8) strains the newly planted thyme garden.
Hollyhocks, masterwort (Astrantia main, Zones 4–7), echinacea, delphinium, monkshood (Aconitum napellus, Zones 3–8), a redtwig dogwood (Cornus sericea, Zones 2–7) trimmed right into a tree and black snakeroot additionally know as black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Zones 3–8) create a colourful vertical wall in entrance of the greenhouse.
Hollyhock, phlox, hydrangea, foxglove, delphinium and ‘Chardonnay Pearls’ deutzia (Deutzia gracilis ‘Duncan’, Zones 5–8) within the entrance mattress.
Completely beautiful, Kielian—and one remaining thanks for sharing these gardens! For those who missed any of the gorgeous gardens we toured this week, verify them out beneath:
Have a backyard you’d wish to share?
Have pictures to share? We’d like to see your backyard, a selected assortment of vegetation you like, or an exquisite backyard you had the possibility to go to!
To submit, ship 5-10 pictures to [email protected] together with some details about the vegetation within the photos and the place you took the pictures. We’d love to listen to the place you might be positioned, how lengthy you’ve been gardening, successes you might be pleased with, failures you discovered from, hopes for the longer term, favourite vegetation, or humorous tales out of your backyard.
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