Gardens Galore

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Attendees at the National City Cleveland Home & Garden Show, Feb. 7-15, delivered many “ooohs” and “ahhhs” while perusing the indoor gardens that Ohio-based landscape contractors built for the event, which was held at the International Exposition Center in Cleveland.

The theme was “There’s No Place Like Home,” inspired by the film classic,
“The Wizard of Oz.” One such garden that transformed his 15,000-square-foot space into Dorothy’s wonderland was the one built by Dave Thorn of DTR Associates, Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The garden started with a pre-tornado scene, in which the house and barn are in tact, awaiting visitors, who meandered along a cobblestone pathway – designed with nearly 100 tons of moss rock boulders across the porch of an old farmhouse – and peeked into Dorothy’s bedroom. Surrounding the house were cutting and herb gardens, showcasing delphinium, foxglove, peonies, hydrangeas, roses and lilacs. Three hundred white and scotch pine and spruce evergreens, ranging from 12 to 30 feet in height formed the backdrop for the setting. Other trees included in the design were pear trees that were 35 to 40 feet tall, honey locust and river birches.

Some other area contractors who had gardens at the show included Yardmaster, Painsville; Turf Tamers Plus, Hinckley; The Connelly Landscaping Co., Avon; Eagle Landsacping, Chardon; Lifestyle Landscaping, North Ridgeville; and Bill Soeder Landscaping, Westlake.

The author is managing editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.