Garden with 125 hosta varieties part of WesterFlora tour
After spending decades cultivating his leafy collection, Roger Neff will show it off to the Westerville community this month.
Neff's hosta garden, which includes about 125 varieties shaded by large shade trees, will be featured in this year's WesterFlora garden tour for the first time.
"My gardening style is anything but formal," Neff said. "I tend to plant things wherever I can find a spot for them and often just let seedlings grow wherever they come up."
Visitors will be able to see 14 gardens at this year's WesterFlora garden tour, which will run from 1 to 7 p.m. next Sunday.
The tour began in 1992 in tandem with events of AmeriFlora '92, the international floral and garden exposition held at Franklin Park Conservatory.
With the theme "25th Celebration of Beauty," the WesterFlora tour will offer eight gardens that are new to the tour, plus six returning favorites, said Linda Laine, publicity chairwoman for the Westerville Civic Beautification Committee, a sponsor of the event.
One of those returning favorites is Laine's own garden, which will be in the tour for the 10th time, she said. Her French country-style garden features 88 varieties of dahlia, she said. Her half-acre property is a certified wildlife habitat with about a dozen birdhouses.
“It’s nice to go on these tours because you get to speak to other people about gardening," Laine said. "I learn from everyone I speak to."
Laine invited Neff to apply to be in this year's WesterFlora after seeing what she called a "wonderland of hostas" in his backyard.
Neff started the hosta garden by clearing out the underbrush behind his house after moving there in 1989. He was inspired by visits to nearby Inniswood Metro Gardens and became involved in the Ohio Hosta Society.
"Since we had many big trees providing shade, and the rather low-lying backyard was often wet, it seemed perfect for hostas," Neff said. "Recent work in the yard has mostly consisted of weeding, weeding, weeding."
WesterFlora visitors also will be able to see a railroad garden with model trains, a raised-bed vegetable garden and two gardens overlooking a golf course, Laine said.
In addition to the beautification committee, the tour is sponsored by Westerville Parks and Recreation, the Westerville Garden Club and Hoover Gardens.
The event includes performances by musicians and features local artists. Visitors also can participate in a treasure-hunt activity that involves searching for hidden items at each location.
"People have a good time," Laine said. "It’s like a festival almost because there’s so much to see and do."
@AlxMeyer
