The 40th Annual Garden Walk will be held Sunday, June 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rain or shine). Sponsored by the Munroe-Meyer Guild at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, proceeds will support the Munroe-Meyer Institute’s therapeutic, training and research activities benefiting children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities and chronic handicapping conditions.
This year’s gardens are all located within a single community area – Elkhorn. In addition, the Guild will introduce attendees to the only acclaimed International Quiet Garden in the United States – the Hitchcock Memorial Prayer Garden. The Garden Faire will be held next door to the Hitchcock Garden in a beautiful park with large pond. There guests can enjoy lots of parking, food, featured speakers, and many garden and art vendors.
Garden Walk & Faire guests will tour six locations:
Jon and Connie Breuning, 5102 N. 192nd Ave. Circle. Entry to the Breuning’s backyard is along a stone walkway through natural grasses and maturing Aspens. At the bottom of the path is a patio and fountain area. There’s a majestic rock retaining wall, many ornamental grasses, a forest of trees from maple, dogwood, and cypress to large ash and more.
David and Kim Boom, 21215 Bennington Rd. Strolling down from the house, a waterfall trickles into a one-acre pond called “Willow Lake” which is stocked with bass, blue gill and catfish. At the entrance is the Birdhouse Garden bordered by spruce and filled with perennials. It showcases unique birdhouses. Then there’s “Darwin’s Garden” with multiple winding paths. Guests can take a ¾- mile nature walk around the 20-acre property.
Jim and Ellen Carter, 605 Westridge Drive. Ellen has planted a wide variety of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals including Eastern Redbud, carnations, day lilies, daisies, chrysanthemums, azaleas, corn flowers and many more. Guests will see folk art, antique tools, pots, tubs, buckets and farmland rocks. This garden is a living work of art.
Steve and Jeannie Runty, 21140 Shiloh Circle. Former Nebraska Cornhusker football player Steve Runty wanted a home that highlighted his love of nature, trees, exercise and fun. Jeannie, a professional designer, transformed their retreat into multiple contrasts of light, texture and colors. For many years, this landscape has hosted horseback riding, youth group parties, pool parties, wedding receptions and many summer nights on the back deck next to a gurgling waterfall and pond.
Joel and Sharon Larmore, 21120 Shiloh Circle. The Larmores’ backyard has a commanding view of the Elkhorn River Valley to the west. Bubbling waters features are illuminated at night. A small conservatory keeps tropicals healthy over the winter. Plantings around the patio include large massings of Wardi Yew, Spirea, and Knockout Roses. Under canopies of Ginkgo, River Birch, Bloodgood Japanese Maple and Japanese Tree Lilac are sweeping beds of Heuchera, Halcyon Hosta and Pachysandra.
F. Hitchcock Memorial Prayer Garden, St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, 285 S. 208th St. Dedicated on Oct. 14, 2001, the Hitchcock Memorial Prayer Garden and meditation walk is the first of its kind in the Nebraska Diocese of the Episcopal Church. The garden holds a wide variety of plantings ranging from grasses to flowering shrubs to blooming perennials in each berm. Trees include Canada Red Cherry, Burr Oak, Hawthorne, Green Ash, Cleveland Pear, Red, Sugar and Sunset Maples, Birch and Kwanza Cherry.
Vendors and artists confirmed to attend the Garden Faire include: Art by Appel, Backyard Birds, Inc., Country Keepsakes, Dotty Robarge, Extreme Metal Arts, Great Harvest Bread Company, Harvest Designs, Iron Garden of Omaha, Lauritzen Gardens, Lori Paulsen, Plata Nueva/Plus More, Rustic Gardens, Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, TillPro Inc., Trees, Shrubs & More, Inc., Vick Mason & Jeanie Krebs and Weiss Studios. More vendors and artists are expected to confirm before June 10.
Tickets may be purchased at Hy-Vee Stores (all locations) in Omaha and Council Bluffs; Great Western Banks (all locations) in Omaha and Bellevue; Earl May Nursery & Garden Center, 9229 W. Center Rd. and 14005 “S” Plaza, Omaha; and 1778 Madison Ave., Council Bluffs; Indian Creek Nursery, 303 N. Saddle Creek Rd.; Lanoha Nursery, 192nd and W. Center Rd.; Moore’s Landscaping and Nursery, 11999 Cryer Ave.; Mulhall’s Home & Garden Showplace, 120th and W. Maple Rd.; Havers Mar-H Florist & Nursery, 8032 Maple St.; Sherbondy’s Home & Garden Showplace, 319 16th Ave., Council Bluffs; Canoyer Garden Center, 11240 S. 66th St, Papillion; Finke Garden & Nursery, 500 N. 66th St., Lincoln; Diller Greenhouse, 1250 Longview Loop, Council Bluffs; Ace Hardware, 213 E. Douglas St., Elkhorn; Clarkson Gift Shop, first floor of the Clarkson Tower, 42nd and Dewey Sts.
Garden Walk tickets will be on sale by May 1. Advance tickets are $12. Tickets will be $15 on the day of the event at all gardens. Children under 12 are free. No strollers are allowed in the gardens. Advance tickets also are available by calling 402-964-9664 or via mail at: Garden Walk Tickets, Munroe-Meyer Institute, 985450 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5450.
For more information about the 2006 Munroe-Meyer Guild Garden Walk and Faire, visit the Web site at www.mmigardenwalk.com or call (402) 964-9664.
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