Farmington Hills

Private gardens open to the public Saturday

By David Wallace
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Deb Jacques Adrienne Goldbaum’s Farmington Hills home is one of six residences participating in the Farmington Garden Club’s biennial Garden Walk Aug. 11. Photo by Deb Jacques Adrienne Goldbaum’s Farmington Hills home is one of six residences participating in the Farmington Garden Club’s biennial Garden Walk Aug. 11.

Some of the community’s prettiest private gardens will be available for public view during the Farmington Garden Club’s biennial Garden Walk 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 11.

Garden Club member Betti Pool organized this year’s Garden Walk, which includes six private gardens and the gardens at the Gov. Warner Mansion. The walk will take place rain or shine and costs $10; children 12 and younger can participate for free.

The gardens are spread out through Farmington and Farmington Hills, and participants will drive to each home at their leisure during the walk’s hours. Garden Club member Adrienne Goldbaum, of Farmington Hills, is one of those making her garden available for the first time.

“My garden is the best it’s ever been. I’ve been here 37 years, and each year, I add things to the garden,” said Goldbaum. “I also have a greenhouse.”

She counts among her favorites two beds full of miniature hostas.

“I think they are very cute,” she said.

Goldbaum also grows orchids, citrus plants and gardenias that she keeps in her greenhouse during the winter months.

Pool said that the walk will start at the mansion, 33805 Grand River, which will offer complimentary refreshments, a boutique selling gardening-related items and plants for sale from Steinkopf Nursery, 20815 Farmington Road, in Farmington. The nursery also is selling advance Garden Walk tickets.

The tickets come in a booklet with directions to the sites. The walk has two purposes: to support the Garden Club’s gardening projects and to give the garden walkers plenty of ideas to use in their own gardens.

Goldbaum said she finds her garden acts as a pick-me-up.

“It makes me feel very good,” said Goldbaum.

Pool put her private gardens in the walk. She does a lot of container gardening, and she has a large perennial garden in front of her house. One of her favorite features is a split-rail fence with plants growing along it.

This is the first Garden Walk since 2010, and Pool said it was not easy getting the gardens. The weather this year took a toll.

“It’s been a very difficult year with the heat and things blooming early,” she said. She often moves her container gardens into the shade to keep the hot sun from scorching her plants.

The Garden Club recently named the winners of its Good Neighbor Garden Contest, and they are thrilled that the winner, Sam Tueni, will be part of the walk. His garden includes bright flowers on all sides of the house, both planted in the ground and in containers.

The Garden Club will have a drawing at the end of the walk for a door prize. Last time, Steinkopf Nursery donated a cement bench for the prize.

For more information about the Farmington Garden Club, visit www.farmingtongardenclub.com.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer David Wallace at dwallace@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1053.