Images from Grand Island's garden walk

On the afternoon of Sunday, July 9th, Donna and I toured Grand Island's gardens during the annual "Town of Grand Island Garden Walk." We visited a variety of gardens. They were all very different. Most of the gardens on display were at private homes. One was at the Grand Island Memorial Library, and another was at Kaegebein Elementary School. 

The gardeners' themes included pirates, perennials, whimsical use of repurposed objects, hostas,  gnomes, a lighthouse, water features, hardscapes, habitats for pollinators, and a tropical paradise.  Here are some of the images of these beautiful gardens.

Hostas come in a variety of sizes and shapes

Here is an example of repurposing an old object. Things that are no longer used for their original function can easily and creatively be reused.

This is an interesting way to reuse old jeans.

Lots of color.

Rays of sunshine.

A home for a gnome.

Angel glitters on a tiny bench.

Boat repurposed as a planter.

The color of hydrangea flowers can be either blue or pink, depending on the pH of the soil. More acidic soil, with a pH below seven, results in blue flowers, as seen above. If you add aluminum sulfate to the soil, it will make the soil more acidic. 

vivid color to add life to a garden.

This is the hydrangea with pink flowers. The soil needs to be more alkaline (pH over seven) to result in pink flowers. Things that could be used to amend the soil would include liming or applying supersulfate.

Tic tac toe with critters.

This is the courtyard garden at Kaegebein Elementary School. This garden features a pollinator garden and raised beds. The students have the opportunity to learn in an outdoor space about ways to attracting pollinators, such as by planting swamp milkweed to attract monarch butterflies.

Arrrr! Shiver me timbers! Welcome to the pirate garden. 

It's a daisy chain!

I hope that you enjoyed the images from the Grand Island Garden Walk. Stay tuned for images from Buffalo's garden walk in about two weeks.