Wild Ones Gatherings for June 2020
Home of Jane and Mike Pisoni in University City
Wednesday, June 10 and Saturday, June 13
Attendance across the 2 dates: 77 members +3 children
Our June Gathering was held, for members only with social distancing and masks, at the home of Jane and Mike Pisoni in University City. Instead of our usual group discussions and information sharing at the beginning and end, we distributed the following ahead of time, written by Jane, so that those attending would still get to know Jane and her landscape.
Before I knew: When I moved to my home in 1997, I had a yard full of honeysuckle,
euonymus, and rotten silver maple trees. There was one small garden at the east door.
I did traditional gardening for 19 years, planting for beauty and the birds.
And then I was inspired: I attended my neighbor Barb Brain’s Wild One’s garden tour
four years ago and met Mitch Leachman. I signed on for the Bring Conservation Home
program, joined Wild Ones and last year received my Gold Certificate. Native
gardening has reenergized gardening for me. I have a woodland garden, a sun garden,
a shade garden, a prairie garden, a vegetable and herb garden and three rain
gardens.
Now: In the last three years we lost three 50-year-old trees in the back yard so my
shade garden has become a sunny prairie garden. My husband and I cleared the last
of the winter creeper in the west woodland garden. It is a conjoined garden I have kept
with my friend and neighbor Barb White since 2001. She moved away for 12 years,
returned last year and has rejoined our gardening and joined Wild Ones. We are still
clearing the millions of day lilies and replacing them with natives. In clearing we have
found sleeping natives returning, Mayapple, Columbine, Jack in the Pulpit, Bloodroot
and Wild Geranium.
With my sweet husband’s help: My garden has also become Mike’s new retirement
job as he has helped me with every new project I come home with. The dry creek bed
was built 5 years ago to manage our water shed and help water the shade garden. In
the last two years we’ve added 3 rain gardens to catch roof runoff.
With thanks: Everyone’s garden visits have inspired a new change or addition. The
water feature, the fire pit, the label-maker, the rain gardens and the lovely new plants
are all inspired by my new “Wild” friends. Thank you so much for waking up my garden
and for coming to my yard this June.
Your garden was an inspiration to me, especially how much you have done in the last few years, and how plush and lovely and native it is….My friend Julie who attended her first Wild One’s garden tour was in awe, and eager for renovating her gardens too… formerly she grew veges and fruits, now planning natives in her own new home/garden space…. Thank you for your hospitality.