2018 Hydrangea Festival - Part 1

Denine Rogers - Volunteer Master Gardener for the Hydrangea Festival Garden Tours!

My one of favorite festival for the entire year is the Douglas County Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival. There was always something to do at this festival. I was able to do the volunteer work on the garden passport theme tour. Each garden that was a passport to cityline and outer space tour. The theme for the 2018 Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival is “Passport to Cityline” featuring the Hydrangea Cityline series, Berlin, Rio, Paris, Vienna and Mars. (This is taken from the Douglas County Tourism and History Commission).

I had a chance to go to the planet Mars to see the Mars Hydrangeas!

The first place I went was to Mars where the Mulcare family garden landscaped is very natural and informal way with rocks and driftwood features throughout. They have done all the work in their landscape themselves and offer an array of hydrangeas, many of which they propagated. There was a large number of fern varieties, azaleas and knockout roses. Because of the shape of their lot, a deck was built nestled on the side of a steep hill. As you climb the steps to the deck, you will notice a variety of ferns and other plantings. There is a enjoyable cascading water fall and the KOI pond at the base. Check out the trickling water flowing through the driftwood on the hillside above the KOI pond in my Instagram link below.

I did not know that Mars had its own flag! LOL!

Check out the video of the Mulcare family garden on the Living Healthy Instagram: http://www.livinghealthy1.org/living-healthy-instagram

Second place was to Rio! Ms. Susanne Hudson, interior and garden designer, purchased this 100 year old house over 23 years ago and that is when she began to create a wonderful outdoor space. She has taken the principles of interior design and adapted them to outdoor living, creating 25 wonderful garden rooms ranging from a rustic tree house to the most sophisticated outdoor living and dining rooms complete with Gothic windows. Her garden boasts hundred of boxwoods, 235+ Hydrangeas with over 25 named varieties, and 2 ponds which were uncovered by her while digging and excavating.