You have a chance to view a variety of gardens from small to large, shaded, sun, rock, water, and vegetable. Some gardens are prairie style, cutting, and even one is dedicated to fairies. It is Open Garden weekend, sponsored by Project GREEN. The gardens can be viewed from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. The 22 gardens are in Coralville and Iowa City with a couple near West Branch and others off country roads. Wherever you see the open garden sign turn to join the groups. No need for a ticket. But you will want a map, which can be found at the businesses of the generous sponsors who support Project GREEN. Ed and Emil Rindespacker each have their spectacular gardens on the tour. Ed Rindespacker is an arborist as well as an expansive collector of perennials, hostas, shrubs and vegetables, and cacti and succulents. He lives on Baker Avenue in West Branch. A little drive, but so very worth it. His brother, Emil Rindespacker, cleared several acres just off Highway 1 at Running Deer Ct. and has planted more than 250 varieties of conifers, woody plants, bushes, and thousands of bulbs. There are borders of perennial and annuals and grasses. Emil Rindespacker is a master gardener and heads up their annual plant sale. A little farther north on Apple Valley Drive, Phil and Karen Miller have built a serene garden with 220 varieties of hostas. There are sun perennials, too and a fairy garden, with a secret garden planned. They call it their “Happy Place” and entertain 12 young grandchildren there. In Coralville, Dr. Rajagopal has his large and wonderful backyard on the tour again this year. The many varieties of flowers are fabulous, plus he has statues, water lilies, shade hosta and many trees. His colorful lilies should be in bloom now. In Coralville on Highland Park Avenue is a secret Japanese garden and an orchard. Prairie grasses entice the pollinators. They have fruiting shrubs and trees that produce hazelnuts and native currents. And if you have ever sung the song, there’s a PawPaw tree to help with the melody. Small raised beds flourish at Vintage Coop on Kennedy Pkwy. Two large bio-retention cells are filled with flowers, shrubs and trees. Expansive sun and shade gardens, a vegetable garden, and a koi pond that welcomes pollinators and birds on Sierra Trail. In Iowa City you will find a many, many gardens to explore. There are rain, rock and shade, cutting gardens, ornamental and organic, decks, patio and pergolas and island beds. Vegetable gardens, of course, mixed borders and native and wildflowers, too. This is once a year chance to see beautiful gardens. Don’t forget the maps. They can be found at Hills Bank, HyVee, Iowa City Landscaping, Pyramid Services, ForeverGreen Landscapes, Ace Hardware,Sanders Creek Company, and Sustainable Landscapes Solutions during their business hours.
Judy Terry is a gardening columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Garden Walks with Judy: Visit the many area gardens during Open Garden weekend
Reporting by Judy Terry / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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