Van Bourgondien

March 2006 Winner

Doug Whitman of Marcellus, NY is our March 2006 Winner!

When I was a child, my mother had beautiful flower gardens all around our country farmhouse, and I used to love helping take care of them and making new ones with her. I am now 50 years older, retired, and have owned my own restored Victorian home for many years. It wasn't until 3 years ago that the idea struck me to dig up my front yard and make flower gardens.

Much of what I learned from gardening with my mother came flooding back and bloom after bloom began gracing the property. Living in Zone 5 has its challenges, but it teaches patience while waiting for winter to leave and spring to arrive. When it does, the garden soil just erupts with renewed greenery and fragrant blossoms for the next 6-7 months. Something is always new and exciting in the gardens, and there's always lots to do to keep them looking fresh.

My gardens contain mostly perennials with lots of daffodils, tulips, lilies, poppies, hollyhocks, foxgloves, coneflowers, dahlias, glads, iris and echinacea, to name just a few...very much Victorian cottage garden flowers. Annuals are interspersed among the perennials as space allows.

Neighbors and friends passing by stop to admire and smell the flowers and appreciate their beauty. The gardens prompt many compliments, the nicest of which was, "What a nice contribution to the village beautification program!" (Our little village is full of restored Victorian architecture and has been undergoing restoration/beautification for several years.)

Thanks to "The Bulb Lady" for providing so many of these wonderful plants!