Our Final Post on the Beautiful Luthy Botanical Gardens and FIVE YEARS!

Wrapping up our visit to Luthy Gardens we start not in Luthy gardens but in a splendid nursery Mr. Fix-it and I visited while I was in Peoria. This nursery is called Hoerr Nursery (pronounced hair-a good German name). Mr. Fix-it is awesome with spotting nurseries for me. Wherever he goes he scopes them out for when I come to visit. 

This nursery was hard to miss because it was immense. I actually thought it was just the growing fields but was pleasantly surprised to find it open to the public. I purchased several plants to bring back to Tennessee and I'm happy to say they are all doing well. Next year I am sure you'll see some on this blog. I am not normally a nursery type of gal but this one had some good sales and nice plants that are hard to find in my southern garden area. Illinois is, afterall, in the north so the plants are a wee bit different. Nonetheless I think the native plants that I purchased will adapt well to my garden. 

This wagon was a super cool thing and displayed nicely inside of the retail area. I took the picture to remind me of how it was done so that if I ever get the time and energy I may make one too. I think the print on the outside of the wagon was decoupaged on and the rest painted. Isn't it sweet?

Now we are back at the Luthy. This walkway had lots of interest and full, happy, and healthy plants. Note the grasses and the fact that there are very few blooms yet this walkway will hold your attention the whole way.

Another shot of the conifer collection. I love conifers but don't grow many here. Most don't like my conditions (shade and tough summers and not so good drainage).

Joe Pye weed is something that grows well here though. I love this flower but its barely one week of bloom leaves it lacking a bit. I do, however, grow it here as it likes my natural style of gardens and does well with only part sun.

I think these were crabapples but I could be mistaken. There were tons of berries in the gardens even in July. They were also all ripe-in July-which is rather early I think.

More of the Joe Pye weed with the bonus of amsonia (Amsonia hubrichii). If you don't grow amsonia you are missing out. It is an easy to grow perennial that has a great texture and fits in anywhere in the garden. Be sure to give it three-four feet of room as it will grow large, though it takes a few years. It turns a golden wheat color in the fall and simply shines. It is drought tolerant and will self seed a bit; which is most welcomed in my garden. The blooms are not very noticeable but it does indeed bloom in the spring. The seed pods look like a cleome seedpod; long and narrow like a pea. The amsonia in my garden and others I've seen are loaded with seedpod this year. Everyone should be checking for the seedlings next spring. Either let them grow where they sprout or move them to better spots but be sure to do this early. Amsonia is extremely difficult to transplant successfully once it gets going.

Cute garden are-a whole family called 'The Shovels' (a name I gave them).

Lastly we finish in the Children's Garden. I am sure children made these simply little concrete designs. The designs were then placed in the garden in such a way that all of the circles formed a large flower. It was simply and beautiful at the same time. 

There were so many more photos I took that I have not posted. I tell you this garden was very small and could easily be seen in less than an hour or two but it is worth the $2.50 admittance fee for sure. What a bargain....

in the garden....

Yesterday was the five year anniversary of this blog. Where does the time go? Over the five years this blog has changed a lot. I have also changed a lot. Change is not a bad thing at all. This blog helps to document it all for me along the way and that is why I still blog. 

Some stats from the blog say that we have had 1338 published posts, over 32,500 comments, and nearly a half a million visitors. I can tell you when I started this blog I never ever dreamed I'd still be doing it five years later and that I would be joined by some friends (Thanks Skeeter, Dawn, and Lola!) along the way and that we would have readers. Thanks everyone who follows along and and helps to make this blog rewarding for us by sharing in our trials and tribulations...in the garden. 
 

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden