Focus — Unification and You

(continued from page 36) paths and in borders along with fall flowers. They install 1,450 pansies, 300 mums, 36 asters and 80 Ornamental Kale. They also plant 2,500 tulips and 500 daffodils for the spring show.

Once the fall display is over, “We take it all out and do Christmas—mostly lights, but we have a few cut trees we mount and light for outside. We change all the pots out to fresh greens and berries and hang 34 wreaths on the house and put lights on them. It’s a challenge to hide the cords but we do a pretty good job. Every window has a wreath on it.”

Day-to-day maintenance is done by Charlie Stroot, the family’s personal gardener. “You’ll never find a weed on that property and that helps me out a lot,” Rakers said. “Trevor Friye of Bergman Nurseries did the irrigation. We planted first and then they put in the drip irrigation before we mulched.”

The trees and beds get a triple-ground pine bark mulch. “It’s really dark brown but really fine and it looks like soil. We go through 70 yards per year.” Rakers’ maintenance crew is all women. “They really pay attention to the details.”

One of her biggest challenges has been finding plants that are mature enough to fit the demand. “It’s all of it—trees, woodies, annuals—because of the sheer quantity. Quincy has 45,000 people so the things available locally are limited and I have to travel to get any large quantities. I had to search high and low for 14-foot-tall evergreens. We got massive trees in on semis.”

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Hemlocks, Norway spruce and Taylor junipers (Juniperus virginiana ‘Taylor’) are some of the conifers on the property that provide winter interest.

Although there have been few insect or animal problems, Rakers is dealing with drought. “As of early May, “We’ve had zero snow and no rain to speak of. Irrigation was just starting so we have some plants that are struggling a bit but it’s too soon to tell.”

When her other clients can’t find her, they know where to look. “This property is a fun area to work. I take a lot of pride in it just because it’s viewed by so many people.” The landscape is a royal delight—the Queen of Quincy. Long may it reign.

(see more images on page 41-43)