Garden Tour #2 - How Impressive!

This is #2 in our Smith County Master Gardeners Tour series.  We've already looked at the Kendig garden, a garden full of pathways around beds located on a cattle ranch.  Today, something completely different.  In fact, I really enjoyed the tour because each garden was so distinctive and different than the others.

Our next stop on the tour was the Holey garden, a very formal garden.  A very extensive garden.  This garden has been in their family since 1965 and - wow! - I think you'll be impressed.  Enjoy!

When you first approach, you know it's going to be something special.  The first thing you see is a fountain surrounded by roses and salvias, all situated on a private lake.

A beautiful pond continues to reflect the formal feel of this garden.  This adjoined the porch area.  Someone next to me pointed out the tadpoles in the pond.

Lakeside, under towering trees, is a smoking pit and table under a roofed gazebo.  The top of this table revolved around like a lazy susan, necessary since the table seats 18!

On the other side of the gazebo was a seating area with a swing looking toward the lake, surrounded by a white garden.  Here's a glimpse.  Wouldn't you just love to sit there curled up with a good book?

Further up, these sweet statues entice you into a formal area divided into four quadrants.  There were four statues, each representing one of the four seasons.  This was at the back of the house.

Each quadrant was lined with hollies, then boxwoods, filled with annuals and liriope.  This surrounded a three-tier fountain, and each entryway was topped with a crown of wisteria.  At the bottom of the fountain were goldfish! 

A bridge beckons you onward.  Even the creek was planted!  Who thinks of planting a creek?

A concrete statue of a boy with a jumping frog was placed in the water, visible only from the bridge.  A delightful surprise!

I had heard they had a rose garden, so I was most interested in seeing this garden.  It was the farthest garden area from the house, and completely fenced in.  See the brick columns?  There was an impressive scrolled iron gate that you walked through to get into the rose garden and to the greenhouse.

I could have stayed outside the rose garden forever, but I was too curious to linger.  And I could smell the sweet scent of roses from here!

The scent here was amazing.  There were matching beds on either side, with more rose beds along the fence line.  The pathways were gravel.  Hybrid teas, shrubs, and clematis in the inner beds, with old roses and Austins along the fence line.

The greenhouse was gorgeous.  Inside, it was filled with tropical plants, vines, and two matching chandeliers!

On our way out, another formal area beckons you to sit and enjoy.  A bench is on the left hand side. The knot garden is filled with herbs.  Fig trees line this garden area.  This bed joins the formal bed with the fountain.  Do you see the crown of wisteria (not in bloom) on the arched entryway?

A very lovely garden.  One that I could stay in for hours.  Although very formal, its feel was very relaxing.  What was most surprising was that this garden is not complete.  There were several new beds being added!  

I hope you enjoyed the tour!  

And if you missed it, you can see the Kendig garden (#1 on our garden tour) by clicking HERE.