June 4-5 Master Gardener Tour - Westover Gardens
Stuart and Grace Ward bought the 1947 home of Mary and Pete Kepley in 1990. Located at 210 Westover Drive, Mary operated Westover Greenhouse and Florist and Pete had a landscaping business. Many of the existing shrubs are a result of their handiwork. {Contributed Photo}
Delight your senses and inspire the gardener in you at Davidson County Extension Master Gardener’s 16th Garden Tour. The tour returns after a two year absence on June 4th and Sunday, June 5th.
The tour takes place in the Historic West Second Avenue, Westover and Grimes Park areas of Lexington. Nine gardens have been preserved, restored and re-invented in a variety of styles and sizes. If you like to walk, you can walk from garden to garden through Grimes Park or you can park and visit them in groups. While you’re strolling through the host gardens, Davidson County Master Gardener volunteers are available to answer your questions.
Tickets are $20 and are on sale now at Backyard Retreat, ?? South Main Street in Lexington. On tour days tickets can be purchased at Breeden Insurance, 312 West Center Street and the entrance to Grimes Park, 25 Hege Drive. Your ticket includes a tote bag with detailed information about each garden, a map, pen and more.
Today’s featured gardens are two in the Westover area. Westover Heights was originally the fairgrounds. These two houses/gardens were the first two houses built in Westover.
Stuart and Grace Ward bought the 1947 home of Mary and Pete Kepley in 1990. Located at 210 Westover Drive, Mary operated Westover Greenhouse and Florist and Pete had a landscaping business. Many of the existing shrubs are a result of their handiwork. Once a heavily wooded lot with pines and native dogwoods that cast deep shade, the yard and gardens are now sunny. Much of the hardscape put in place by the Kepley’s, including a greenhouse and rock walls remain.
Features not to miss include:
A tall Southern magnolia
Frogs from Stuart’s Mom’s garden
The camellia garden
Old photos of the Kepleys and the Greenhouse
Little Mary’s playhouse
Native trillium and a variety of hostas, ferns, lilies, iris, and more
A fire pit area with a whimsical nod to The Wizard of Oz
Jo Ellen and Willie Edwards live in the house she grew up in. Part of the house was built in the 1940’s and was added on to several times. Over the years, Jo Ellen has restored some parts of the gardens like the rose bed and nurtured the azaleas and boxwoods rooted by her grandmother. She’s added new beds like the deep shade in the front yard and sunny beds in the back yard where there are a wide variety of plants and shrubs.
Features not to miss include:
The rose bed
Hostas, hydrangeas, heucheras and ferns in the front shade
Hydrangeas, cone flowers, peonies and hibiscus in the sunny back
Hand painted garden art, metal sculptures, hand crafted bird houses, pottery, and family antiques throughout the yard
Old pictures of the garden and Jo Ellen’s family, roses, and the story of ‘Cora Mae’ in the garage
Hydrangeas at the Edwards home
Jo Ellen and Willie Edwards in their front yard is a Google Drive {Contributed Photo}
Garden tip from Jo Ellen….to slow down squirrels digging in your pots, put plastic forks with the tine side up in pots along with sticky pine cones! It works!
Click here for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tECQ3-7aqo
We look forward to seeing you on June 4th or 5th. We’ll share information about two more gardens next Saturday!
