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I've not missed a single tour in 23 years and estimate that I've visited almost 200 gardens. Thinking back I find that I don't remember all of them; this is partly because there is way more plant material available today than there was in 1987 and -- this is key -- so many more garden accessories.
What I find is that I remember the gardeners. The men and women who planted and cared for their yards and invented artistic spins on vines climbing, groundcovers creeping, fountains and sculpture that's eye-catching -- who could forget them or the 20 or so hanging baskets that decorated a huge, old live oak?
The gardens this year are as diverse as their gardeners.
At the Thomas residence at 28 Full Sweep in Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head, Bob Thomas takes care of his many gardens of flowers and vegetables in a caring way. Winter-damaged tropicals have every chance to recover; perennials grow large with the special soil that he mixes. The large vegetable garden houses seedlings as well as mature plants. This is a "do it from scratch" gardener/farmer.
The Annemarie Kinsky garden at 65 Headlands Drive in Hilton Head Plantation, is filled with friends. It's a true pass-along garden and a testimonial to the importance of sharing. Annemarie's magic fingers can propagate almost anything that's green. Plus, it's butterfly heaven -- there are 16 flowering varieties of clematis.
The Matt and Barb Gates residence at 87 Oak Tree Road in Colleton River Plantation in Bluffton offers river views and interior gardens with plantings circling 300-year-old oak trees that give cooling shade.
Andy and Pam Arway live at 91 Inverness Drive in Bluffton's Colleton River Plantation in a newly built Spanish style house with a river view and young plantings of green shrubs spiked with colorful oleander, pink geraniums, and pink, peach and coral hibiscus.
The Maye River Art League Garden on Calhoun Street in Bluffton is for artists and gardeners with walls of art by locals on the interior and out the back door there's a garden with contemporary sculptures by Stephen Kiecher and Doc Slagle.
Mary Ann Snyder's garden on 12 Pearl Reef Lane in Hilton Head Plantation was featured in The Island Packet last summer with a photo of the "squash from hell." Friends urged Mary Ann to put her garden on the All Saints Tour in 2010. She was persuaded and this led to many visits by me and Mary Ann's journal describing what happens to the passionate, do-it-yourself gardener when you prepare to go on tour. Away we go:
November 2009
Ti and Crotons dug up, put in pots and moved indoors for the winter. Fountains winterized. Hanging Staghorn fern moved indoors. Pulled out 7-year-old wax myrtle hedges, a whole day's work. Fixed irrigation, prepared bed for azaleas, planted a hardy hibiscus.
December 2009 and January
Covered plants that could be frosted; spent a lot of time looking at garden magazines for new ideas for the garden.
February
BIG MISTAKE -- moved crotons into screened-in porch, covered in the evening but it was just too cold. All that effort down the drain! End of February and the pruning of trees, shrubs and perennials begins in earnest.
March
Purchased four Encore azaleas and planted them where the wax myrtle hedge had been. The "Ides of March" danger of frost is over and I now gleefully spend 4 to 8 hours a day in my garden. Shopped for hardscape items, annuals and a few new perennials … many trips to nurseries, Lowes, Home Depot and Savannah. Obtained some plants from Avid Gardener plant swap and from friends and neighbors. Started seeds of morning glories, nasturtiums, sunflowers, zinnias, violas and Cleome. Fertilized all existing plants and began the planning and placement of newly purchased plants. Soil amended with mushroom compost, home brewed compost and slow-release fertilizer. I tried something new this year to keep the weeds down. Spread newspaper around the plants and then laid pine straw over it. Wanted a Japanese maple for many years; found and planted an unusual one. Had to re-line hanging baskets as squirrels used material for nesting. Got an idea from Southern Living Magazine -- a Bonsai made from different size flower pots; surrounded the site with bricks. There are about 80 red and yellow tulips in full bloom; sprayed them and most things in my garden almost every night with my rotten egg and garlic mixture … yuck!
April
Planted more annuals; transplanted perennials to better locations and purchased more hardscape. including an arbor. Added more flagstone paths. Planted herbs in terra cotta pots close to kitchen door. Sprayed to kill weeds with Preen. Started mulching beds with pine straw and POA special. Trimmed new growth from shrubs that would otherwise grow too large for location. Watered annuals every day. Added slug bait around annuals. Cleaned and serviced fountains and ponds. Moved Shasta daisies. Bought more annuals and perennials and planted. Husband Len worked on the paths, moved and modified irrigation line. Fertilized citrus plants. Compost surprise -- Len, without thinking, added squash peels and seeds to our composter last fall, and as a result, I am pulling squash seedlings that are scattered throughout my garden. Our neighbors are panicking and are trimming and mowing in their yards in preparation for May 15.
