Golden Grassway

In 1990 Ken planted a tree lilac on the corner of the south side of our house. He added my favorite yellow mums, some hot pink phlox from his mom, a few annuals, called it quits and headed back to his new day job.

After seeing a beautiful Arborvitae 'Holmstrup' hedge at Anderson Gardens in Rockford, IL, Ken placed a similar hedge on the property line on the southeast side of the house. With the help of son Peter, they dug out the base of a curving path, placed the soil to the sides, and put down a base of coarse pebbles, then sand, and topped with flagstones. The soil on the sides was amended with compost and became the Golden Grassway garden.

A sumac was planted on the side by the house and it eventually covered the path, creating a shady tunnel for years. By 2010, the sumac died and was replaced by three trellises for Clematis 'Etoile Violette' along the wall.