Need a Fesh Idea for Your Garden? Try The Idea Garden in Onarga
By Mary Dickinson
U of I Extension Master Gardener Ford-Iroquois Unit
Not very far from here is a small garden built by the Ford-Iroquois Unit of University of Illinois
Extension Master Gardeners. Tucked behind the Onarga Public Library, the Idea Garden is open
to the public all year long. Started in 2004 it is a place for Master Gardeners to practice their
horticultural skills, learn from each other and share their knowledge with the community.
Designed as a traditional enclosed circle within a square, the original garden had five sections
bordered by a rustic cedar rail fence. A circular path of Missouri gray stone takes the viewer to
each of the five gardens within the fence which are as individual as the Master Gardeners who
design, plant and maintain it.
The Japanese style garden contains the elements frequently found in traditional Japanese
Gardens – water, stone and plants. In this garden, water is represented by the stream of
pebbles. The rocks are considered objects of beauty and add interest to the garden. The hostas,
ferns, grasses and other plants offer a colorful variety of green foliage with contrasting hues,
shapes and textures. A Japanese style garden gives the viewer a restful and interesting green
space to contemplate.
The Butterfly Garden was created as an enjoyable way to study how nature works. The plants
displayed in this section are host plants for various butterflies and many of the plants also
provide nectar. August is the best month to visit this section as the coreopsis, butterfly weed,
lantana and many others are in full bloom and the butterflies are actively visiting their favorite
flowers.
The Native Plant Garden was established to generate interest in gardening with plants which
are conditioned to thrive in our Illinois climate. Cultivars of natives have been included allowing
greater variety in flower and growing habit while maintaining the toughness of a native plant.
Prairie dropseed, rattlesnake master, and baptisia are among the natives that require no
fertilizer and have fewer problems with insects and diseases.
Do you smell pizza? The Herb Garden features plants with predominantly culinary uses- such as
oregano, thyme and basil along with some other less commonly used herbs such as rue. These
hardy plants thrive in regular garden soil and, like the native plants, require no fertilization.
Herbs are typically planted in a garden by themselves, as displayed in the circular bed, or
combined with annual or perennial flowers as in a cottage garden. A current trend among many
home gardeners is to mix herbs and other edibles in their perennial borders.
The goal of the Cottage Garden is to give the illusion of “Grandma’s flower garden” while using
some of the newest cultivars of old favorites. Two new clematis cultivars climb the trellises,
while old-fashioned Black-eyed Susan vines grace the arbor. Garden lilies, a rose, Betony
‘Hummelo’, a new cultivar of false sunflower and several others give the viewer the comforting
feeling of having visited an old friend who has something new to say.
Outside the fence the Zinnia Garden, which is new for 2011, is ablaze with color. Three cultivars
of zinnia provide a long blooming season - from midsummer to fall. Next to the zinnias is the
Annual Garden. This year it took on the theme of a medieval castle garden to complement the
Onarga Public Library’s children’s summer reading program “A Midsummer Knights’ Read”.
Visitors to this section will be surprised to learn that marigolds and lavender, poppies and
gladioli, basil and yarrow all grew in Europe during the middle ages. And, as the youngsters
learned on their visit, many other herbs and flowers that we have planted in the Idea garden
could also be found in castle gardens!
Along the west and south sides of the fence is a mixed border of perennials and shrubs. Elijah
blue fescue, mums, roses, and asters provide year long curb appeal for neighbors and visitors.
The Ford- Iroquois Master Gardeners love to have visitors in the garden. The community is
invited to a spring ‘Plant Share’ in May and to attend the post- telenet ‘garden parties’ held
following the seasonal telenets. The public is encouraged to attend these seminars on various
horticultural topics.
There are three telenets scheduled for fall of 2011.
On October 4 the topic will be ‘Invaders of the Weedy Kind’ – invasive weeds that could choke
out and destroy desirable plants in the landscape. This will be presented by Michelle
Wiesbrook.
October 18’s topic is ‘Intro to Sustainable Backyard Landscaping’ presented by Martha Smith.
What is this and how can we follow these practices in our own back yards.
The final one for the season is on November 1. The topic for this is ‘Community Gardens”
presented by Sandy Mason, Jennifer Fishburn, and Jennifer Schultz Nelson. They will share what
is needed to make community gardens successful. All telenets are at 1 pm last about 60-90
minutes. Please call the extension office to save a place for yourself and a friend – 815-2684051.
All telenets are provided to the public by the Master Gardeners. There is no fee to attend.
You are encouraged to come by the Idea Garden and see what’s blooming! We’d love to see
you there.
Memoirs of a Gardener are news and notes about gardens and gardeners in Ford and
Iroquois Counties. Written by Master Gardeners who live and garden in east central
Illinois and learn as we all do by trowel and error. Join them as they share what they have
discovered about gardening.