Lesson Plans in an Iowa Garden
Working through 30 years of summer breaks and then retirement, two Iowa teachers molded an empty backyard into an A+ landscape. Strolling through their gardens offers lessons in creating a great yard with a limited budget and lots of patience.
Garden timeline
1977–1980s: Budget-friendly railroad-tie steps and walls initially transform the steep lot. In 1998, as the expanded design plan starts to take shape, the Lippolds replace the ties with stone.
1992 The garden grows with ornamental grasses, dwarf conifers, prairie plants, Mary’s favorite Asiatic lilies and more.
1999 Trees planted in the ’80s now provide shade for new beds of hundreds of varieties of hostas and ferns.
2001 The waterfall, stream and 3,000-galllon pond are completed. Pretty water lilies and koi thrive each summer.
Comments (0)