By Staff
Huntsville Botanical Garden to host tour June 15-16
By Thomas Tingle
Record Manager
The gardens surrounding two Madison homes will be among seven gardens featured in the upcoming Huntsville Botanical Gardens' "A Tour of Gardens with a Personal Touch" this weekend.
The gardens of Ed and Karen Voelker at 115 Lake Pointe Circle in Edgewater and the gardens of Robert and Nancy Thibodeau at 482 Rainbow Drive on Rainbow Mountain will be opened to sightsee.
Each garden represented on the tour is completely different and unique.
The Voelker's have spent the past 10 years perfecting their gardens that stretch across the 3/4 acre property with a beautiful view of Lady Anne Lake in Edgewater. Along the landscaped circular driveway, massive native trees provide an airy mix of sun and shade. Underneath the trees, the Voelker's placed an almost-hidden bench to sit and enjoy the view of the lake.
The Voelker's said one of the reasons for choosing the lot was due to its abundance of native trees. The gentle sloap of the lot provided the Voelker's with the opportunity to plant Juniper that has now covered a huge portion of the property. Next to the perennial bed is a mixture of culinary herbs used by Karen. She calls the area, Karen's place. Two Japanese maples are located at the entrance of the pool area and crepe myrtle frames the view of the pool to the lake where giant sycamores provide shade.
Along the rock path, a thick stand of native redbud, hickory and oak have been planted.
Both Ed and Karen are master gardeners. The couple says working in their gardens is their passion.
It's been more than three years since the Huntsville Botanical Garden has held a garden tour. This year's focus is on gardens that are a reflection of the homeowners' vision, rather than a landscape design.
The Thibodeau's mountainside home, with more than an acre and a half of property, features multi-level gardens, waterfalls, and sitting areas. For more than 15 years, the Thibodeau's have spent time and energy creating a year-round refuge with artistic accents.
Among the most recent additions to the gardens is the gazebo garden with a cascading waterfall that the Thibodeau's have called Rainbow Falls.
The other gardens that will be featured in the tour in Huntsville belong to David Leonard and John Stoddard at 1523 Ward Ave. in Old Town; Bob and Sally Naumann at 303 Ormond Circle in the Blossomwood community; Ken and Ginny Bragg at 5832 Jones Valley Drive; and the Huntsville Botanical Garden itself at 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue.
On Saturday, visitors can have lunch at the Botanical Garden tearoom as a half-way-house between the Huntsville and Madison locations. Water and lemonade will be served at the Bragg and Thibodeau homes.
Admission is by ticket only and the gardens may be visited in any order on Saturday or Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased either day at any of the gardens on the tour or at the Botanical Garden prior to the event. Admission is $15. Garden members will receive a $2 discount.