Ann Arbor Residents Share Creative Landscaping In Annual Tour
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Homeowners’ artistic expressions are the focus of next Saturday’s Ann Arbor Garden Walk.
From a display titled “A Country French Garden” (at 435 Stein Road) to one dubbed “Geometry in Bloom” (at 2230 Platt Road), the outdoor spaces on the 18th annual tour offer visitors a peek at some glorious landscapes.
“We feel that this year’s gardens offer an exceptional taste of the arts - not only music, but sculptures, artisan fountains, hand-done glass and mosaics, and distinctive plantings,” says Kathy Clark, chairwoman of the walk.
If you go
A perfect example is the garden of Lucie and Larry Nisson (1227 Lutz), called “Falling Waters.”
“I’m an artist,” says Larry Nisson, “and I create art with rocks and wood and some glass.”
He says his challenge is to create art “with dynamic tension, so it looks like it’s almost ready to fall over, but not.” He says he hopes people will view the art in his garden and “experience that tension.”
The water feature in the center is almost as lovely as the homeowner’s collection of orchids - about 120 in all, though not all of them will be on display.
At 809 Brooks St., Middy Potter has created “A Place to Dream” for visitors of all ages. It includes a stone tower that Potter built, 300 varieties of hosta and a vast collection of dwarf conifers. This garden also includes some wonderful sculptures.
Lisa Allmendinger | The Ann Arbor NewsMiddy Potter’s garden on Brooks Street in Ann Arbor, titled “A Place to Dream,” includes a stone tower, a vast collection of conifers and 300 varieties of hosta.
“The gardens on this year’s garden walk demonstrate the homeowners’ vision in creating an artistic expression of their lives and their work,” says Clark.
Tickets are $12, and proceeds will benefit the new education center at Growing Hope. There are plans to build a greenhouse and demonstration garden, which will provide hands-on training and education for low-income families and at-risk students, says Claudia Scioly, a member of the garden walk committee.
New to the tour this year will be entertainment at several of the gardens, Clark says.
The Stout Hearted String Band will play at the first garden (435 Stein Road) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nora Karsch, who plays the hammered dulcimer, is a member of Women’s Farm and Garden Association, which sponsors the annual garden walk.
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Monday, June 9th, 2008
