June 2007

Participants can look forward to the Bastian garden on the tour.

Put on your walking shoes and bring your green thumb to "A Symphony of Sunset Gardens." On June 22-24, the Waukesha Symphony is hosting a chance to peruse a diverse mixture of six area Brookfield and Elm Grove gardens. This tour features landscapes ranging from an exotic vegetable garden to a professionally-maintained estate. Here is a glimpse of what you can expect to see.

Ever wonder what a professional gardener’s own yard looks like? The owner of Hawk’s Nursery is opening their back yard for a chance to see his Japanese Koi pond enhanced by a mote. This yard also features a bluestone walkway leading to a fountain and plenty of flowers to feast your eyes on.

Next stop is a backyard paradise with a French country feel. This owner-tended back yard will leave you feeling tranquil as you relax to the sound of waterfalls rushing into a pond. The towering trees give homeowners a shady place to enjoy the peaceful scenery.

To mix things up, this garden tour gives you a chance to visit an award winning vegetable garden. The Elm Grove gardener tends to an array of exotic vegetables interspersed with annuals. These homeowners are the winners of the 2006 Elm Grove Beautification award.

When you step onto the grounds of the following Elm Grove home you’ll feel as if you have entered an Old World estate. These homeowners turn to Matt Kastell of Salisbury Hill Ltd. for creating and maintaining their backyard haven. The Lannon stone house blanketed with ivy reiterates the Old World feel. Landscaping includes a combination of unique trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and flowers, giving it a natural appearance. The pond, creek bed and waterfall create a wildlife sanctuary.

Follow the woodchip paths to view the next Elm Grove landscape which emulates an English garden. It is decorated with an eclectic mix of annuals and perennials with a rose garden surrounding the pool. This one-acre splendor is interspersed with a variety of greens, including evergreens, arborvitaes and boxwoods.

The Underwood Creek will lead you to the next garden in Brookfield. This six-and-a-half-acre, English style garden features tall hedges surrounding the perennial gardens. Most of the perennials were started in their on-site greenhouse and are expanded annually.

The garden tour starts on Friday, June 22, from 6-8 p.m. with an invite-only garden party. Garden tours open at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 23. The day ends with a guided sunset tour at a selected Brookfield garden from 4-6 p.m. Gardens will open for an encore viewing on Sunday, June 24, from noon-4 p.m. This event is sponsored by Sunset Bank and all proceeds benefit the Waukesha Symphony. For tickets and more information, contact Mary Korkor at (262) 966-9827 or the Waukesha Symphony box office at (262) 547-1858.