To access the front door, visitors walk through lush plantings on a path to the stairs on the side of the porch. To the right, the plantings slope down the steep hill and, just past the dark green of the magnolia tree, a distant bit of Hartstrait Road is visible. On the near right of the path there are focal points such the big leaves of a variegated Hosta contrasting with Amsonia ‘hubrectii’ with yellow splashes on its thread-like leaves.

To access the front door, visitors walk through lush plantings on a path to the stairs on the side of the porch. To the right, the plantings slope down the steep hill and, just past the dark green of the magnolia tree, a distant bit of Hartstrait Road is visible. On the near right of the path there are focal points such the big leaves of a variegated Hosta contrasting with Amsonia ‘hubrectii’ with yellow splashes on its thread-like leaves.

Purposeful gardens that reflect the passions of their owners.

BY MOYA ANDREWS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES KELLAR

All gardens are unique, of course, and reflect the individual passions of the people who conceptualize and create them. Behind every spectacular garden there is a defining purpose and a resolve to create a particular type of garden. Presented here are three gardens that successfully realize their owners’ ambitions.

When Sue Speichert fell in love with a historic home, she and partner Mick Harman took on the challenge of re-creating and expanding the equally historic and romantic garden surrounding it. Ed Paynter and Sandra Miles are environmentalists who wanted not only an ecologically friendly house, but also an exuberant, sustainable garden to produce food for both body and soul. For Diane Dormant, this, her third garden in Bloomington, is the culmination of a lifetime studying the elements of garden design.

READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE!

 

WEB EXCLUSIVE

See more of photographer James Kellar’s photos of our Gardens Well Planned and the people who made them what they are. (Click on the photo to view the gallery, then use the on-screen arrows or the arrows on your keyboard to navigate forward and backward.)

 

To access the front door, visitors walk through lush plantings on a path to the stairs on the side of the porch. To the right, the plantings slope down the steep hill and, just past the dark green of the magnolia tree, a distant bit of Hartstrait Road is visible. On the near right of the path there are focal points such the big leaves of a variegated Hosta contrasting with Amsonia ‘hubrectii’ with yellow splashes on its thread-like leaves.