The Champaign County Master Gardener’s hosted their annual Garden Walk this past weekend. The event was well attended and the weather was gorgeous. I met with coordinator Ava Heap and garden expert, and University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Sandra Mason who were very friendly, showed me around the IDEA Garden, and recommended that I drive out to Philo, IL to visit one of the most impressive gardens on the tour.
I arrive in Philo and found myself in front of a large red house that later I would find out was converted from a church into a house. I walked around back to find a large garden that was more like a sanctuary. It had stone paths leading to different nooks and cranies of the garden and was lined with bright, green leaves, vibrant flowers and rich, brown trunks and stalks. The garden was alive both in terms of plants and people.
Sitting on the porch was Barb Socha, the Master Gardener. “I started out with just a few plants. About 40 years ago,” she explained. Her garden transports you into another and is very well kept so that you can enjoy plants without the distraction of weeds. Barb is a former professor at U of I and always loved beautiful gardens. “I figured if I wanted to enjoy a garden I would have to make it myself.” And she has done just that.
Here are some more of my favorite plants from the day. Some are from Barb’s garden and some are from other gardens.
