by Connie Oswald Stofko
After about 20 years of adding trees and garden beds to their Grand Island landscape, Pat and Gary Scott are slowing down and even reducing the size of some beds.
“We have to tone it down a little because it’s a lot of work,” Pat said. “If the gardens get too big, it’s overwhelming.”
I visited the Scotts on last year’s Grand Island Garden Walk.
This year the Grand Island Garden Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 8. Maps for the tour can be picked up at the Town Commons Gazebo, 2255 Baseline Road, Grand Island.
You can see all of the garden walks on our Events page. Get more information on the website of Gardens Buffalo Niagara, the group that coordinates the garden walks and other events.
Don’t forget about Open Gardens. Select gardens will be open on Thursdays and Fridays in July. To get the hours and the locations of the gardens, you need the booklet, which will be sold for $5 in local garden centers. The booklet should be in garden centers by Mother’s Day. We’ll share the list of garden centers that will carry the booklet as soon as the list is available.
One of the things I noticed about the Scotts’ yard was the way they incorporated a low, wet area. Instead of trying to ignore it, they treated it like a water feature and built a charming foot bridge over the wet area to provide access to the far back end of the yard.
Pat said that she doesn’t plan out her gardens.
“It’s all trial and error,” Pat said. “I’m more hands-on and just try it yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I have moved things to different places. It’s just experimenting with different things.”
She’s something of a plant collector.
“I like to go to all the nurseries because they all have different things,” Pat said.
While Pat likes doing the gardening herself, when it came time to install a patio and deck, the Scotts had it done by professionals. They had the landscaping around the deck installed by landscapers, too.
“It was too big of a job,” she said.
Tip: Pat used pavers from the old deck as edging around garden beds to prevent weeds and grass from creeping into the bed.
Jill, I agree. For some people, weeding is Zen.
I agree with Pat’s gardening philosophy. It was so nice to read this article. I too am always adding new plants to my landscaping and adding on. I always have a vision of what the finished product will look like, but it is always a surprise in the end. I am not one of those gardeners that can envision a final product and match it. I appreciate those sentiments in this article.
Gardening takes a lot of time, but I also do it because I find so much peace in the garden. Not everyone finds that kind of enjoyment with gardening. I am the only one in my family that LOVES to spend all day outside and take on new projects every year. If that is not your PASSION, then it is just hard work. If you love it, your garden will become your peaceful, unique space that grows with you; and each one of your little plants holds a special memory. 🙂
PAT YOUR GARGENS ARE BEAUTIFUL HAVE TO DO THE GARDEN WALK FOR SURE THIS YR
Just a beautiful place to relax and enjoy all the glorious flowers. Your hard work has always been seen in your gardens.
WOW!! Awesome job Pat and Gary. I may take a few ideas from yours and add them to mine.
Eva, the Scotts do have a lovely landscape, but yes, it does take time. My landscape will never look like that either, but it’s okay. Everybody has their own style. It’s wonderful that gardeners like the Scotts share their landscapes with us!
Wow. This garden is spotless and beautiful. I can see hours and hours of work that went into it. But the result is “priceless”. I’m envious because my spaces will NEVER look like that.