By Linda Fausz
Historic Garden Week takes place this Saturday, April 23 through Saturday, April 30. The Chester Garden Club, a member of the Garden Club of Virginia, will not be conducting any house tours this year, but will be participating with horticulture and design exhibits at the Chester Library beginning Wednesday, April 20 through Saturday, April 30.
Several of the club members will have a design, showcasing their talents as a floral designer and/or a specimen from their garden for the horticulture exhibit. Member Margi Fox has been passionate about gardening for years and will be selecting a specimen from her garden for the horticulture exhibit.
“Some of us [members]are better at design while others enjoy the horticulture side of the club, I enjoy gardening,” said Fox.
Fox join the garden club in 2011 and brings her knowledge of Latin, due to her Catholic upbringing, to the table when it comes to identifying plants with their Botanical names. Fox said she can remember the plants Botanical name a lot easier than its common name.
Fox cultivates a perennial garden – sun and shade loving plants and preserves the foundation plants surrounding her home by adding perennials that make a good fit for its location. Her favorite perennial is anything with a blue flower.
“I have more garden than I can really take care of,” she said. “But I love every part of the garden and how it changes during different times of the year. Forget-Me-Nots are in bloom right now and one of my favorites – the Hellebores, are just finishing up [their blooms.]Hellebores are one of my great loves; they bloom in January and February.” Saying they are a great plant to have in bloom during the middle of a snow storm.
When Fox and her husband, Bill, move into their home, located on Cool Spring Drive, 10 years ago, she brought 150 plants with her. She said she always loved to garden, as her mother did, but never had the time until she retired. Now retired, she tends to her garden almost daily, taking care of Bluebells, Bleeding Hearts, Black Eye Susans, Columbines, Cornflowers, and you can just keep going down the list and you most likely will find it in her garden.
She said she is not always able to remember the plants name but has come up with a good system of saving their tags in a notebook. Another good tip for a beginning gardener is to double dig everything when planting and dig at least 18 inches down for a perennial. She said when digging the hole for the plant, take out a layer of soil, amend it and set it aside, dig another layer, amend the soil. After placing your plant in its place, take the first dig and place the soil around the plant and top it with the second dig. This routine will give you a healthy perennial for years to come.
So what may Fox select for her specimen for the horticultural exhibit at the library, “It all depends on what is in bloom,” she said. “I would love to bring the tree peony; it is just beginning to blossom.” A glorious shade of red that fully announces in a garden that spring has arrived.
Fox will showcase her horticulture exhibit along with her fellow members Wednesday, April 20 through April 23. The Chester Library is located at 11800 Centre St.
