Each month, between April and November, the Milford Garden Club chooses a “Garden of the Month.” Each garden chosen represents just one of the many beautiful landcaped areas around Milford.
“Our beautification committee starts looking at all gardens in the greater Milford area from April through November depending on the weather. We have so many beautiful gardens in the area that we try to pick that very special one to recognize. We also get suggestions from friends, garden club members, or from the community, then we ride around until we find that special garden, Beverly French, Chairperson of the Beautification Committee, said. “Once we have selected one, we knock on their door to see if they would like to be recognized. Once they happily accept, we then give them a sign to put in their yard to display for the month. We take a picture and write an article including comments by the owners and description of what they think is special about their garden and name as many plants or special features that they might have.”
In June, the club recognized Mitch and Loretta Edmondson on Lakeview Avenue.
“This is an incredibly unique garden who decided they did not want to have to mow their front yard,” French said. “With the help of a landscape architect, they created a yard comprised of perennials. It is an environmentally friendly garden consisting of mostly native plants with only a few annuals which are in containers.”
The Edmondson’s wanted color each season due to the number of perennials planted, so they added a red twig dogwood which is green in warmer months and adds red color in the winter. Lenten, carpet and blushing roses, ester, cotton lavender, green velvet boxwood, salvia, black eyed Susan, daylilies, viburnium, lilac, hydrangea and grasses are also planted in the garden.
In July, the garden of Bill Wernick, located on Bay Road in Slaughter Beach, was chosen.
“It was about 20 years ago that Wernick found what he calls his “little gem,” Slaughter Beach. He had always admired beautiful gardens but never attempted to create one for himself until five years ago,” French said. “Designing one and being determined to never use toxic chemicals, plus having to amend the sandy soil, all became challenges.”
The first step in creating his beachside garden was to eliminate all vegetation. He placed tarps over the entire area, leaving them there for three months. While the tarps worked, he began to design the garden, envisioning a painting of various heights, colors along with a sculpture. What resulted was not only a very large garden, but a stunningly beautiful one. A Certified Wildlife Habitat, the garden includes a fig tree, purple butterfly bush, crepe myrtle, hollyhock, cannas, Hosta, yellow and white Cala lilies as well as Shasta daisies, red and yellow mallow, vinca, dusty miller and many other beautiful plants.
Wernick stated that his favorite plant is a hydrangea which was also his mother’s favorite. Calling it a labor of love, Wernick explained that his garden is an example of what can be achieved even if your soil is nothing but sand.
The Milford Garden Club meets the first Wednesday of each month at 10 AM in the Parks and Recreation Building, 207 Franklin Street, Milford. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. On August 6, they will hold a Summer Social with light snacks, music and door prizes. The public is welcome to attend.
