In the 10 years that Lauren and Brian Cody have owned their home on North Delaplaine Road in Riverside, they have turned their backyard into a shady oasis, highlighted by lush greenery and the quiet gurgling of a koi pond.
On Sunday, June 26, the Codys’ will be one of seven home gardens featured in the Riverside Garden Club’s garden walk, held every other year to raise funds for local beautification projects.
The theme of this year’s walk is “garden party” to celebrate the Riverside Garden Club’s 90th anniversary as a local organization.
“My friends call this place ‘the sanctuary,'” said Lauren Cody of her backyard garden. “It’s very calming. It’s more texture than color, so if you like green, textured gardens, you’ll like this.”
Throughout the past decade the couple has planted five trees and 30 shrubs, in addition to dozens of perennial plants, to create an interesting garden from early spring through the fall.
Because shade dominates, the Codys have chosen plants that thrive with little sun, and have created a fern garden (accented by a fern-leafed honey locust tree) and a hosta garden, featuring some unusual hostas. Dogwoods and a redbud add spring color while burning bushes and maple trees add fall color.
The koi pond, built by Brian Cody, is ringed by flagstones the couple discovered while creating the border garden. They unearthed flagstones buried under about six inches of soil, placed there by a previous homeowner as a border accent.
“The entire perimeter had flagstone buried under it,” said Lauren Cody. “Eventually we figured out what was going on, dug it all up and recycled it.”
Each garden will sport a take on the garden-party theme. The Codys have chosen a Tuscan-inspired theme Ð “O Sole Mia” – said Lauren Cody.
“We’ll have tables set with Tuscan dishes,” she said, “maybe even some Dean Martin music playing.”
In addition to the Codys’ garden, the walk features a “green” garden, designed and planted by local landscape professional Tom Lupfer, five other home gardens and the so-called “Garden of Eden” over at St. Mary Parish on Herrick Road, where refreshments will be available for ticketholders during the walk.
The garden walk runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are available in advance for $10 at Shamrock Garden Florist, 18 E. Burlington St. or the Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road. Tickets are also available on the day of the walk for $15 at each of the featured gardens. More information is available by calling 442-1778 or by emailing the club at info@riversidegardenclub.org.
