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Poetry in Motion By Kirsten E. Silven Photography by Walt Roycraft
When Laura and John Witty purchased this home,
the lot was anything but lush, with little more than a lone dogwood and a few other trees, but all of that would soon change and today the garden is a living testament to what 15 years of hard work, smart stewardship and plenty of love can accomplish. “There were no trees, a few shrubs, no fence and no flowers when we moved in,” Laura shared. At about one acre, the lot offered much promise, so the Whittys were excited about the possibilities. Also, there’s something to be said about having a blank slate to work with. Today, there are no other houses visible from most of the garden spaces, despite the fact that the home is located in a subdivision in the Glenview neighborhood near Lime Kiln Lane. There are at least 25 varieties of ferns, 50 varieties of hosta and 24 different Kentucky wildflowers represented here, including Kentucky Ladyslipper and bluebells. “Guests typically enter the garden through an arbor with climbing roses, honeysuckle and American hollies,” Laura said. The property’s remarkable transformation took place in part thanks to help from Tommy Bachman of Goshen Gardens, who supplied a variety of trees and shrubs over the years that were already well-established when planted, including a European beech, a Bloodgood Japanese maple, a Bur Oak, three Willow oaks, a Japanese cedar, three Amur maples and several arborvitaes, to name only a few. Of course, the careful ministrations of Laura, along with those of her friend and garden co-conspirator Betsy Green, were also essential to help the plantings not only survive, but thrive.
14 • Jul/Aug 2018 • Kentucky Homes & Gardens
