Hidden Duluth Gardens Revealed

Driving by the historic homes on West Lawrenceville Street in Duluth, passers-by would never know there are lush gardens tucked behind them. On Saturday (May 18) the homeowners opened their gardens for the inaugural Secret Garden Tour to benefit the Duluth Historical Society.

Seven gardens on West Lawrenceville Street and two others nearby were featured on the walking tour. Homeowners had been working diligently for the past few weeks to get ready for the tour by pulling weeds, spreading mulch, and adding plants.

Beth Moody describes her yard as "a friendship garden." It took Beth and husband Glen Faulkner 13 years to transform the yard of their 114-year-old home. Beth used to be in real estate and collected clippings from the homes she sold and from friends' homes. She and her husband are both artists, and the garden is filled with interesting garden art and accents.

Shelly Howard and artist Jennifer Freeman co-chaired the tour. Shelly and her husband David Cossette have designed cozy spaces to entertain and spend time together in their yard. Jennifer created mosaic sculptures that were placed in several gardens on the tour.

Carol Welch and Pam Tuggle invited visitors to rest on their Southern-style front porch, which was decorated with colorful flower pots, and shared stories of growing up in Duluth.

Many of the plant species in Keith and Pam Bryant's garden were labeled, and they shared gardening ideas with visitors. Their picture-perfect garden had served as the site of their daughter's wedding.

Sandra Lamar explained her garden inspiration was to move the inside out so she could enjoy eating dinner on her patio while listening to a concert of crickets. She built a cabana in the garden herself.

Jack and Sylvia Brock created a sustainable garden where they practice composting and water conservation and grow their own fruits and vegetables. Another part of the garden includes an azalea trail and a water feature.

"We would do a project each year," Sylvia said. The water feature was built from rocks hauled from her parents' mountain farm. Each time they would visit, they would bring home rocks until they had enough to build a creek bed.         

The Gary and Ganley children operated a bustling lemonade stand next to the shuttle stop.

It was a short walk to the homes of Kathryn Willis and her daughter Kay Montgomery and husband Mike. The property has been in the Willis family since the late 1800s. The corner of Kathryn's garden was once the site of a cotton gin. Her formal garden offers a tranquil place for Kathryn, her family and friends to enjoy time outdoors.

Kay refers to the site of her home as "The World." It rests on top of a hill overlooking the woods where she played as a child. Mike has built about 20 birdhouses and an owl house that are located throughout their property.

Proceeds from the Secret Garden Tour will go to preserving the Strickland House, site of the Duluth History Museum. For more information about the Duluth Historical Society visit www.duluthhistorical.org. 

The tour started in the gardens at the Strickland House on Buford Highway where participants obtained maps of the other gardens on the tour and caught the shuttle. Duluth Historical Society President Judy Wilson and volunteers greeted visitors.

Tour sponsors included the City of Duluth, Woody's Nursery, Howard Brothers Hardware, Park Cafe, Gwinnett Community Bank, The Home Depot-Johns Creek, Noble Village, Sassy Girl Design, and Kroger-Duluth. Howard Brothers Hardware displayed lawn and garden equipment and accessories. Woody's Nursery created a demonstration garden.

Duluth High School Honor Society volunteers led by Jasmine Pillarisetti assisted with the tour.

Duluth Patch Editor Faye Edmundson contributed to this article and added photos.