This year’s Romeo Garden Walk on June 28 will feature plenty of foliage from hostas to roses and everything in between, but the 10 beautiful gardens on the tour are also intertwined with history.
On 33 Mile Road, Charles and Yolanda Turner just planted their soybeans on their 200-acre farm mid-June. Their “Folly Farm” property has been part of Romeo home tours and barn tours, but this is the first time it has been included in the Romeo Garden Walk in a long, long time.
“It was probably in the 1980s the last time we were part of it,” Yolanda said. “We are a little bit out of downtown Romeo, so I hope people take the time to come out and see us.
“The property is so beautiful, it makes you feel like you’re standing inside of a painting.”
The Turners said that being part of the Romeo Garden Tour this year motivated them to get their gardens into shape. Two large maple trees that are more than 200 years old are a focal point of the farm. There are also lilacs, peonies, and other flowers that have been there for 50-plus years.
“When I look at it, it is so beautiful and I can definitely see what the draw was when my mom drove by and it caught her eye,” Charles said.
His parents bought the farm in 1947. It had been vacant for more than 20 years and his dad had to do some detective work to find out who owned the farm and contact him. When the owner met him at the farm and unlocked the door of the house so he could look around, he told him that anything in the house was included in the purchase.
“My dad walked into the kitchen and saw two glasses and a whiskey bottle,” Charles said. “He asked the owner what was going on and the owner told him that several years prior, he was having a bad day at the office and came home in the middle of the day to find his wife with her boyfriend.
“He never went back after that.”
The farmhouse will also be open for tours on the day of the Romeo Garden Walk. The original farmhouse was built in 1830 and there have been multiple additions over the years.
“The additions are all very old too,” said Charles. “We have a great, big fireplace that you can walk into.
“Some of our family will be there during the walk to answer questions and give tours.”
If anyone on the tour wonders if the 1948 tractor sitting outside the barn still works – it does.
Yolanda said even after so many years spent at the farm, its majesty still takes her breath away.
“I was walking down the road with my dog and looking at it and the feeling is just hard to explain,” Yolanda said. “At dusk I look at the rolling fields, especially when they are planted and just starting to sprout and it is so beautiful.”
Jenni Matheson’s quaint bungalow on Pleasant Street will be part of the Romeo Garden Walk for the first time. Matheson says her garden, in particular her front yard, is non-traditional and incorporates a lot of whimsical features as well as statement art pieces.
“We have more of a rock garden style that is fun and whimsical,” said Matheson. “We are huge rock hounds so we use the rocks we have found in Lake Michigan and it is kind of sentimental for us.”
Matheson said her garden is heavily occupied by perennials and in particular, anything that attracts pollinators.
“I like anything that is butterfly, hummingbird and bee friendly,” said Matheson. “I’ve got milkweed that is going like wildfire as well as things like zinnias that you can cut and make a bouquet for someone to brighten their day.”
Many of the items in the garden, including the trellis for the clematis, are hand crafted by Matheson and her husband.
“It’s really nice because we both really enjoy working in the garden; he loves it as much as I do.” said Matheson.
The Romeo Garden Walk is June 28 starting at 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Attendees can pick up their wristband, personal gift and tour map at the Romeo Historical Society Archives Museum at 290 North Main Street in Romeo. There will be a raffle for a handcrafted garden bench and a Wiegand’s perennial sale fundraiser at gardens seven and eight. All ticket holders will receive one entry for a door prize gift basket valued at over $200.
Tickets are still available and the first 100 tickets sold in advance will receive a $10 gift certificate from Ray Wiegand’s Nursery off any in-store purchase. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through greenspaceromeo.org.