Had the opportunity to visit Kathy Guest and Michael Shadrack's garden, named Smug Creek Garden, last night.
It was fine. Kathy's collection of daylilies are at peak. Mike's collection of hostas? And Kathy's mini hostas? Well, they look good no matter the season, no matter the weather.
Mike and Kathy are a driving force within Buffalo's gardening community–whether it be the
National Garden Festival,
Western New York Hosta Society,
Buffalo Area Daylily Society, the
Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens, or the
Buffalo-style Garden Art Sale – the reason for my visit to their garden–it was our wrap up meeting for the event.
Mike is the co-author on three books on hostas, including
The New Encyclopedia of Hostas,
Timber Press Pocket Guide to Hostas, and with Kathy Guest Shadrack,
The Book of Little Hostas. If you're interested in purchasing any of their books – please visit their garden to do it! Books are for sale, you'll get it signed and they'd love to show off their garden to you.
Kathy
and Mike live in Hamburg/Boston Hills in a house that sits on top of a creek. Their garden is open for the
National Garden Festival's
Open Gardens (the idea of which was Mike's!). There's only today (Friday) and next Thursday and Friday to visit their gardens while they're open. If you're into hostas, daylilies–or gardening at all–or just wandering through a beautiful space, it is worth the trip.
I tried to take a bad photo in their garden, but I just couldn't.
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| Garden art purchased at this year's Buffalo-style garden Art Sale. |
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| Purchased at last year's Buffalo-style garden Art Sale. |
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| The garden of just mini-hosta. |
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| The view out their office window. |
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| Table purchased at this year's Buffalo-style garden Art Sale. |
It's so nice to see an effort like that where the house isn't the center attraction.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I never thought about that. Most gardens surround or accentuate a house. Here the garden is the thing, house is secondary. Although it's kickass house - how many houses have a stream running through it?
DeleteSuch a beautiful garden and lovely plant collections... great photos that really share the experience of being there.... my favorite kind of post! Larry
ReplyDeleteA beautiful garden, much like your own Larry!
DeleteBeautiful! I have to ask. What is the conifer that looks like a pole in the centre (Canadian, eh!) of many photos? Is it Picea omorika x breweriana ? When I image searched 'weeping pole conifer', that seemed to fit.
ReplyDeleteI am told by the owners that it is Chamaecyparis nootkstensis......commonly called a nootka cedar. A cultivar is called 'the pencil'
DeleteGreat tour and always worth the visit. The Shadrack garden is such a treat each year.
ReplyDeleteIt is a garden you an never get tired of going back to.
DeleteSuper cute !!! i adore the view, i would love to work looking at the waterfall. Your pics are so great.
ReplyDelete