Washington County Weekend Post

2 4 • W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y P o s t R e t a i l • 9 - 6 - 1 5 M any gardeners stave off fall as long as possible, but Sherry Buettner isn't one of them. Before Sherry turned her cal- endars from August to September, she had added lots of fall accent pieces to her beautiful backyard garden. "When the summer colors start to fade I like to punch it up with some colorful decora- tions," she said. "Plus I love fall and it seems like a shame to not be able to enjoy it in the garden so I start early. There's no point in putting them up at the end and not have any time to enjoy them, right?" Sherry's love of fall is evident in her home's interior décor as well. "For me it adds to the anticipa- tion," she said. "I look forward to fall and Thanksgiving more if I see the decorations inside and outdoors every day leading up to them." From spring through fall, Sherry spends at least an hour each day working in her gar- den - although work is my word for it, not hers. "I don't consider it work at all," she said. "For me, it's therapy. I love it. "I've been gardening for my entire married life - 47 years. There is no way I would still be doing it if I considered it to be work! I play golf, I read and I have plenty of hobbies. I do this because it's fun." Sherry and her husband have lived in Menomonee Falls just across the Washington County border for 38 years. When their children were younger, the backyard was more open to allow for more play areas. Now that they are grown, the gar- dens and enclosed gazebo have taken up much of the space - although some open areas are left for the grandchildren to frolic and for the whole family to engage in spirited games of bags. Two years ago Sherry was honored to have her garden be the setting for her grand- daughter's wedding. "I was thrilled when she asked if she could get married here," Sherry said. "I couldn't have been happier." For Sherry, gardening has always been about creating a peaceful space to be enjoyed by herself, her family and others. "When I was a child, my moth- er always gardened," Sherry said, "and I loved it when strangers stopped by to say the yard was beautiful. That's when I didn't want a garden for myself. I wanted to share it." In spring, Sherry's garden is filled with tulips and daffodils. Throughout summer, yellows and whites are the prominent colors. By fall, it gives way to pinks, blues and black-eyed susans. Sherry starts most mornings enjoying a cup of coffee in the garden or the gazebo. "My yard is my sanctuary," she said. "I want to be sure to enjoy it before I start to water it and deadhead and do the other things that need to be done." At night, she often enjoys the ambient lighting added over the years from the bug-free confines of the gazebo. Sherry's favorite plant is a feverfew, a white perennial that is part of the chrysanthe- mum family. Similar to a baby's-breath, the flowers work well in bouquets. Sherry got her first feverfew from an aunt in Minnesota. Sherry estimates that up to 75 percent of the plants in her garden have come to her at the generosity of fellow gardeners - and she is always eager to pay it forward. "Plants are made to be shared," she said. "That's why it's so easy to separate them and give parts away. If you needed to buy all of these plants, it would be very expensive, but garden- ers are very generous people." Other favorite plants include delphiniums, foxgloves and hostas. "I love the colorful plants in my garden, but you need white and foliage in a colorful gar- den," she said. "You need to break up that color and give your eye a chance to rest. You need to intermingle them." Sherry said she doesn't put a lot of planning into her plant- ing. "My garden is like me," she said. "It's quirky and fun. It's not pristine and I wouldn't want it to be." Next year, Sherry plans to add a rose of Sharon plant to her backyard. She saw one some- where and fell in love with it. The rest of the garden will be the result of perennials that come back and seeds that she collects and randomly sows. "Sometimes when thing s aren't planned that are better, aren't they?" she said. Gone Gardening Gone Gardening Written By: Jill Badzinski Why wait for fall to add autumn accents? OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 & 19 • 11AM-2PM 830 S. MAIN STREET • (262)346-5777 (next to Tuesday Morning) ••• Monday-Friday 10AM-6PM • Saturday 8AM-3PM ••• Like us on Facebook where we will announce new products arriving weekly, availability of healthy prepared foods, smoothies, and upcoming classes! 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