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Glen Ellyn, IL —
For the past 10 years, Kay Wahlgren has gotten her hands dirty making her dream garden come to life.
On June 18, Wahlgren’s garden was featured on the Glen Ellyn Garden Walk for the second time. The first time was in 2002 when she and a friend founded the Glen Ellyn Garden Walk as a fundraiser for Bridge Communities, a local nonprofit that helps homeless families.
“We felt such a change (in my garden,) we had to include it… people who saw it the first time said they wouldn’t have recognized it,” Wahlgren said.
During the Garden Walk this year, residents visited six private gardens where master gardeners from the University of Illinois DuPage County Extension also spoke about gardening topics and answered questions. When Wahlgren started gardening at her Glen Ellyn home, she said there was nothing but grass, a pile of native day lilies and three hosta plants.
“So when the kids were through messing up the yard, I started over,” she said.
A large pond in the backyard became the focal point, and now the garden is full of perennial plants, shrubs and vines. But Wahlgren said the garden is different every year.
“If a plant doesn’t work well, I think of something new,” she said. “It’s a constant changing environment, which makes it fun.”
Wahlgren first became interested in gardening about 30 years ago after traveling to England.
“We have quite a bit of a yard (at our Glen Ellyn home) and we had done some traveling in England and of course they have magnificent gardens,” she said.
Wahlgren continues traveling to other countries to see gardens. In September, she’s going to England and Whales on a garden tour.
“I’m sure I’ll have plenty of dreams (after the trip),” she said. “I’ll take out my plant book and plan out next year.”
For those who wish to create their dream garden, Wahlgren has a few simple tips — start small and build it slowly; go with what you like, not what’s popular and if you have a dream, go for it.
For the past 10 years, Kay Wahlgren has gotten her hands dirty making her dream garden come to life.
On June 18, Wahlgren’s garden was featured on the Glen Ellyn Garden Walk for the second time. The first time was in 2002 when she and a friend founded the Glen Ellyn Garden Walk as a fundraiser for Bridge Communities, a local nonprofit that helps homeless families.
“We felt such a change (in my garden,) we had to include it… people who saw it the first time said they wouldn’t have recognized it,” Wahlgren said.
During the Garden Walk this year, residents visited six private gardens where master gardeners from the University of Illinois DuPage County Extension also spoke about gardening topics and answered questions. When Wahlgren started gardening at her Glen Ellyn home, she said there was nothing but grass, a pile of native day lilies and three hosta plants.
“So when the kids were through messing up the yard, I started over,” she said.
A large pond in the backyard became the focal point, and now the garden is full of perennial plants, shrubs and vines. But Wahlgren said the garden is different every year.
“If a plant doesn’t work well, I think of something new,” she said. “It’s a constant changing environment, which makes it fun.”
Wahlgren first became interested in gardening about 30 years ago after traveling to England.
“We have quite a bit of a yard (at our Glen Ellyn home) and we had done some traveling in England and of course they have magnificent gardens,” she said.
Wahlgren continues traveling to other countries to see gardens. In September, she’s going to England and Whales on a garden tour.
“I’m sure I’ll have plenty of dreams (after the trip),” she said. “I’ll take out my plant book and plan out next year.”
For those who wish to create their dream garden, Wahlgren has a few simple tips — start small and build it slowly; go with what you like, not what’s popular and if you have a dream, go for it.
