Garden tour, yard of John and Joyce Basse (photo by Erminja Maganja)
Erminja Maganja, Garden Club Publicity Chair
After a couple days of heavy rain, a beautiful spring day awaited us on May 15 as over 45 Garden Club members assembled to close out our club year with the popular RR garden tour. On tour were four very different, lovely gardens. Our hosts were available to answer questions, highlight specimens and unusual plants, and educate us about what worked—and didn’t work—in their yards. It was a joy to see the creativity and special touches that our host gardeners invested in their gardens.
The four gracious garden tour hosts were Lori and Mike Slocum, John and Joyce Basse, Jane and Dick Boothby, and Cindy Warner. The Garden Club Board extends our sincere appreciation for the generosity demonstrated by our hosts. We understand the work involved in preparing a yard for a garden tour and are thankful for your efforts in sharing your gardens with us.
We started the tour at the home of Garden Club President Lori Slocum. Lori has an inviting yard, which was in bloom with lots of purples (Lori’s favorite hue!), several varieties of salvia, and an unusually large stand of oxalis in the front bed. The backyard is peaceful, set off with two tall iron works plant stands gracefully spilling over with gaura, a pollinator favorite.
The Basses’ garden was a treasure, with themed planter areas filled with charming statuary and garden décor. The shaded backyard is inviting and begs one to sit on the bench and enjoy an iced tea. The birds voiced their approval by performing a symphony! The yard boasts salvia, day lily, a specimen Lace-leaf Japanese Maple, gaura, and iris.
The Boothbys have created a private backyard with vignettes in every nook. There are beautiful bronze sculpture and statuary, decorative birdhouses, watering dishes, and birdbaths tucked here and there. The Boothbys, original owners, heavily amended the soil upon their arrival 20 years ago, which has made a world of difference. Jane shared her “secrets,” including Back to Nature Cotton Burr Compost as her soil conditioner and Nature’s Creation Tejas GreenSand, a soil amender containing iron and potassium.
A brief club meeting was held preceding the tour to conduct official business, including electing Debbie Greenslade as the new VP of programs. Nancy Finley was confirmed as the new publicity chair. The club wishes to recognize the efforts of and express our appreciation to outgoing co-VPs Linda Lilley and Betsy Duncan, as well as Publicity Chair Erminja Maganja.
See you in September! The Garden Club takes a three-month summer hiatus, starting up again in September. All RR residents are invited to join the Garden Club. We meet the third Monday of the month at the clubhouse at 10:30 a.m., with occasional field trips that generally require additional fees for entry or transportation. We look forward to welcoming you!
Enjoy the summer, stay cool, and see you in September!
For questions or additional information, contact Erminja Maganja at [email protected] or 916-804-5551.