Virtual Garden Tour — Linda and Steve Lunt

Garden walks are typically held in villages guided by garden club members or master gardeners on a select date given.  We don’t all get to make those tours and sometimes the selection criteria runs long on must haves.  I don’t have a list other than one should be enchanted upon viewing a garden.

I had the opportunity to view a friend’s garden and was so taken aback by the work that had been done I realized that this would be the perfect starting point for a Virtual Garden Tour. 

The very first thing that you notice is the inviting nature of Linda and Steve Lunt’s entrance to their home as you approach the front door.  Using landscaping and perennials, paths have been created in a very balanced way.  The flagstone paths add interest letting you know there’s more to see.

The theme running through their entire yard is one of paths with beautiful plantings mixing perennials, landscaping, annuals and garden art.  This is a winding enchanted adventure almost like the secret garden for if you didn’t go around the back you would never know it was there.  Every little stop there’s “something” to make you talk about the genesis of the plantings.  Daisies greet you everywhere.  They bow as you walk by. 

Gaillardia, Russian Sage, Cone Flowers, Lilies, Coreopsis, Phlox (hybrid and natural), Hydrangeas, Black Eyed Susan, Grasses – several kinds, annuals – bright petunias in the colors of purple, pink and white all gracefully adorn the winding path.

Over the years they have collected metal art.  Butterfly pieces are installed in various locations in the gardens.  You’ll see a pineapple tucked away.  The gardens provide a fantastic habitat for cardinals and finches along with the sunflower seeds and black thistle seeds to draw them in.  Linda has a lovely blue birdbath as well as a fountain to provide needed water for the finches and cardinals.  Junipers line the entire back yard providing a lovely private back drop.  Sections of random garden gating can be found planted in spots with ceramic birds attached to the posts.  The charm of it all makes you keep looking for the next event to happen.  One favorite piece sits in the Miss Kim Lilac bushes – a wooden angel that’s been around for a few years watching over visitors. 

At one point we stopped and counted the pots, 21 in all.  Linda gardens as her father did.  She intimated her grand plan comes from growing up with a father that loved to be in his garden.  You’ll notice her mother’s lovely bench, a favorite, is in the middle of the yard under the shade of a maple tree. 

Steve does a lot of the heavy lifting, planting and trimming.  There’s much to do to keep the yard looking so beautiful.  Their secret to good soil is mushroom compost.  Every other year they bring in the heavy mulch.  Linda pulls weed every day.

Gardening at this level tells you a tremendous amount about the people that live there.  They love where they live and love those around them.  It’s always a pleasure to visit at the Lunts.

To see all the pictures visit www.missmarys.wordpress.com