Five gardens on display during annual Downers Grove Garden Walk

When Janet Pleimling transformed her garden, which sits in a forest of 400-year-old trees near downtown Downers Grove, she wanted to create a garden for her grandchildren to enjoy.

Now, years later, she is sharing her garden with the community, as part of the 18th Annual Downers Grove Garden Walk, which benefits a local nonprofit.

This is Pleimling’s second time participating in the garden walk. She first featured her home on Grand Avenue.

Moving to her current home about 14 years ago, she once again is displaying her garden for the community.

As part of the garden’s transformation, Pleimling removed an “unintentional pond,” added a path around her property and steps to “nowhere” giving her grandchildren ample room to run around.

“I wanted to make it fun for them,” Pleimling said.

“Now they are 10 and 13 years old,” Pleimling said. “But they still have fun. It is amazing what their imaginations will carry them to.”

Pleimling said the transition of her new home and the heavily wooded property was an “eye- opening experience.”

“You can’t weed the same way,” she said. “I came to the realization that you have to appreciate what you have and learn to live with it. Instead of trying to get rid of it.”

Pleimling, who spends about four to six hours a day in her garden, has participated in every garden walk, and hosting the event in her own garden is something that she relishes.

“It is a chance to share and talk with people,” she said. “It is my Zen place. I am happy to be out there.”

Organized by the Bridge Board of the First United Methodist Church Downers Grove, five gardens are opening up from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m on Saturday, July 13 to benefit Bridge Communities, an organization devoted to providing housing, mentoring, direction, encouragement and a stable environment so that families can become self-sufficient.

“One hundred percent of the money raised goes to support Bridge Communities,” said Dan Johnson, a member of First United Methodist Church Downers Grove and a volunteer with Bridge Communities.

Many of the 100 families the organization helps each year are young, single moms who are facing a homeless situation, Johnson said.

“They also are often employed,” he said. “But it doesn’t pay enough to let them be self-sufficient and live independently so they bounce around which leads to all kind of issues.”

As part of a two-year commitment, the program provides each family with a free apartment, career counseling, parental education, family budgeting, tutoring for children and other support services, Johnson said.

“I have seen the success of this program,” he said. “It transforms people’s lives to break the cycle of poverty.”

Downers Grove resident Lynn Horne, a master naturalist and volunteer at the Morton Arboretum, said she is participating in the garden walk to help other individuals.

At one time, the garden of her 1912 home was mostly grass and used by her children to play soccer.

Once her children got older, Horne decided to transform the grass into native shrubs, trees and plants. However, it is not exclusively native plants since her husband prefers ornamental plants.

With a bit of spousal compromise, their property now includes both ornamental and native plants as well as an organic vegetable garden.

Other highlights of the garden include a sitting area over a bridge, a rain garden and a shed garden.

In other areas, Horne has utilized native plants to reduce wet areas and help take away pollutants and chemicals while also attracting wildlife.

Horne also participated in the Downers Grove’s bioswale program, which utilizes native plants in her front parkway ditch.

Other homes featured on the walk include the transformation of a home and garden that underwent reconstruction after the property was struck by lightning.

The homeowners spent two years recreating the garden following a two-year home reconstruction period. They now enjoy a garden that includes perennials set among mature oak trees along with shrubs and ornamental grasses.

Another garden walk participant features a vintage home whose garden was reworked following the loss of trees and the need to relocate shade loving perennials.

Inspired by classic cottage gardens during their annual visits to Door County, Wis., the homeowners’ garden makeover includes the addition of sun-loving perennials.

They also utilized cuttings and native transplants from friends and family. Only burning bushes and a climbing hydrangea remain from the original garden.

The last garden on the walk was designed around the Oak and Hickory trees on the property and today includes a Magyar’ Gingko, a State Street Maple, an upright Kindred Spirit Oak, a Honey locust and multiple clusters of Evergreen arborvitaes. A variety of sun and shade perennials are included to provid color throughout the year.

Tickets for the event are $20 and may be purchased at Anderson’s Bookshop, 5112 Main St., Downers Grove; the Community Bank of Downers Grove, 1111 Warren Ave.; Phillip’s Flowers & Gifts, 528 N. Cass Ave., Westmont; and The Growing Place, 25W471 Plank Road., Naperville.

Tickets also can be purchased for $25 on the day of the garden walk at any of the gardens or from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the parking lot of the Downers Grove First United Methodist Church, 1032 Maple Ave.