Pages - AHS Region 2

The 2005 AHS National Convention Tour GardensBrookwood cultivars from Leo Sharp. One point which Dan isespecially proud of is his extensive collection numbering over 100nostalgic plants from legendary Texas hybridizer Hugh Russell.The commercial sales area is located adjacent but separate fromthe display area and contains over 3000 cultivars and potted hostas.Dan is an avid hybridizer and is working on diploid spidersand tet unusual forms. He has registered about 25 cultivars andthere will be about 15,000 seedlings for conventioneers to view.AMY & JOHN DUKE’S GARDEN223 Kearney Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45216-1402Our garden has over 7000 square feet of English Cottage stylegarden area designed for four season interest. Summer brings ourdaylily blooms, which usually peak from mid-June to mid-July. Wehave over 500 different cultivars of daylilies including a completeStout Medal collection and a collection of Don C. Stevens awardwinning “eyed” daylilies.Perennials include Iris, Peony, Coral bells, Lambs ear, Daisiesand many others. We have over 100 varieties of Hosta and over90+ varieties of woody shrubs including Weigela, Ninebark, Viburnums,Fothergilla, Clethra, Hydrangeas, Boxwood, Broom, Arborvitaeand others. The shade garden features Ferns, Astilbe,tropicals, Pulmonerias and others. Amy plants hundreds of annualseach spring just to carry plenty of color into fall. Small trees,cherub and animal statuary, pathways and stone walls add interest.We are an AHS Display Garden and our garden has received theGardener’s Recognition Award from the Cincinnati HorticultureSociety. We host several garden tours each season including theGarden Conservancy Open Days Tour in 2000 and 2002. Ourdaylilies will be featured on TV in an episode of Smart Gardeningin 2005.Nearly all plants are labeled. We believe garden touring shouldbe educational and a way to get ideas for your garden—we aredisappointed if anyone leaves without learning something or gettinga new idea.We also have a few garden “do-dads” and interesting featuresto inspect such as the Fairie Gardens and the Child’s Garden.There is also a pond and small rail road garden—all the buildingsfor the rail road village are bird houses which have been “landscaped”with over 150 dwarf and miniature plants.AMY & JOHN DUKE’S GARDENAHS Region 2/Great Lakes NewsletterFALCONRIDGE GARDENCarolyn and Dick Dooley5940 Headgates Rd., Hamilton, Ohio 45011What many have called “Xanadu”, Richard and Carolyn Dooleysimply call home. Well, actually their homestead was once knownas “Falconridge”, the circa 1890 Hyannisport-inspired summer residenceof the Fitton family. In 1970 the Dooleys purchased the thenconverted-year-round home and after nearly a year of updates andrenovations the family of seven moved in. Over the past 33 yearsthe Dooley family has infused the home and property with theirunique stamp, from resurrecting the clay surface tennis court to theinstallation of a swimming pool and several decorative ponds. Atour of the property will enchant you as you hand feed the koi ortake refuge beneath a pergola dripping with fragrant pink wisteria.A short walk to a clearing reveals their decorative greenhouse.Or sip a glass of ice cold lemonade on a bench in the secret garden.Perhaps the most striking feature is the enormous selection of recentlyintroduced daylilies. The hundreds of named varieties arethe passion of this gardening couple. Dick and Carolyn Dooley area wealth of information about planting, hybridizing and gardendesign.Carolyn and Dick Dooley’s GardenGunda Abajian: The Daylilies of Ledgewood Gardens(continued from page 25)exciting seedling is numbered 35F; it has a garden name ofJohn the Baptist. It does not take much imagination to see oneach petal a white sword with its point aimed at the throat ofthe daylily. To register this flower as JOHN THE BAPTISTwould be a wonderful reference to the infamy of Salome whowas only able to kiss the lips of John the Baptist by having hishead cut off with a sword.It was a delight to see all of Gunda Abajian’s introductionsand seedlings in Cleveland. Almost as exciting is that everymember of Region 2 who DID NOT attend the Symposium inCleveland can view all of Gunda’s flowers just by logging ontoher website. It is truly amazing that she has generated such awide range of beautiful and interesting forms in just 5 years. Ihave to talk to Tony—maybe he is sneaking out at dawn tomake a few crosses by himself!Spring-Summer 2005 Page 19