Fredonia couple prepare for 600 garden visitors

Anyone who has ever invited people into their garden knows that it can be stressful to get a garden in tip-top shape for an event. Imagine what it would be like to have more than 500 people coming to your garden.

Dawn and Steve Young of Fredonia have a pretty good idea. Between 500 and 600 people are expected to tour their garden during the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days event August 10 and 11.

After members of the Garden Club of Greater Milwaukee, which chooses area gardens for the national tour series, visited the garden last September, the Youngs learned in winter that it would be one of three Ozaukee County gardens on the 2024 tour. And since then it’s been full steam ahead in the garden, which the couple created themselves, from building the patio, rock walls and pergola to seeding the seven-acre prairie by hand.

Any garden that is beautiful and interesting enough to be considered for what is probably the most prestigious garden tour series in the country is always well maintained, but there’s a different level of garden work that comes with being on a tour, Dawn Young said.

“I’ve really been staying on top of deadheading, particularly on the plants that you know will bloom again if you stay on top of them,” she said, naming Coreopsis as an example of a plant she can get multiple bloom cycles out of.

She also planted the numerous containers around the property more intentionally than she might in other years. She designs containers for clients through her business Seasonal Designs with Dawn, which means that her own containers often end up getting filled with leftovers, but not this year.

A mature pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) that was suffering from disease might have been granted a stay of execution for another year had the tour not been on the agenda, Dawn said. But it was looking too ragged to stay and the tree was removed, leaving the couple to hunt for a replacement just a month ago or so.

Then there’s all the other work that goes into making an entire property look good at once, like painting the shed and power washing structures.

Despite the early season rain, which was a boon to the garden, Dawn said, the garden and lawn now need watering, something the Youngs normally wouldn’t do much of.

And of course there is always weeding and general editing. Dawn has helpers coming in the week before the tour to assist with last-minute sprucing up  and lending a critical eye to the garden.

Despite all the work, Dawn said she is looking forward to the tour, in part because of the insight she gains when her garden is viewed from other people’s perspective.

“You always learn something different, and the good comments far outweigh the bad,” she said.

In addition to the Youngs’ “Glasshouse on the Prairie” garden in Fredonia, the Bonniwell Garden in Mequon and “The Farm on Hilly Lane” in Saukville will be on the Garden Conservancy tour Aug. 10-11. Tickets must be purchased in advance at gardenconservancy.org.