Lilja existing docksite
By Gayle Best
The Dock Design on a Dime kick-off event was an informative, fun and well attended event. One hundred twenty-five people attended the event held May 19 in the Clubhouse Ballroom, which was festively decorated in a summer beach theme, highlighted by large, beautiful plants provided by Family Tree Nursery.
Gayle Best, VP of Garden Club and Program Chair, introduced Jennifer Bertrand, HGTV season three Design Star winner and Jonah Nelson, Family Tree Nursery landscape designer.
We watched a 45-minute video shot for the program, featuring Jennifer , Jonah, information on dock site rules and regulations and interviews with dock site contestants. You could have heard a pin drop during the outstanding interview with Joan Davies, during which we all learned about LQ summers when Joan was growing up as a young girl. Fred Braun did a great job telling us about the importance of beautification with landscaping. Like Joan’s interview, his was also from the heart. He and Charles Segebrecht enlightened us on some of the rules governing our sites. We all had fun listening to Ann Evans interview. We learned about how dock sites can play a part in our life at LQ through interviews with Linda Matchette, Jessica Lilja, the Karley family and Mark and Leonna Young.
Proposed layout
Contest dock site design winners were Ryan and Jessica Lilja, Jack and Linda Matchette and Darrin and Sandra Karley. Jonah and Jennifer then offered landscape and design ideas for these three specific dock sites, ideas that also could be used on other dock sites around the lake. Kent Best demonstrated how a bilge pump can make watering at a dock site easy and efficient. Kent will sell these bilge pumps to Garden Club members for $30. The program concluded with attendees being able to visit personally with Jonah and Jennifer.
So that the program does not lose its momentum, we will feature photos , tips and stories about dock site beautification in the coming months to inspire you.
Jennifer Bertrand, HGTV season three Design Star winner (Photos by Susan Hidalgo)
The Lilja landscape and layout design ideas is an example of taking a great dock site, adding colorful sustainable landscaping along with out of the box thinking in the layout design and turning it into something even more functional and beautiful. Jonah’s design shows street-side plantings of Creeping Jenny, Salvia Caradonna, Yucca, and Red Hot Poker, utilizing the Lilja’s existing pots, with two Bird of Paradise combo planters. Jonah also suggested two Palms in large containers on each corner of the patio area; however, their existing planters could work nicely. Jennifer designed the furnishing layout with the Lilja’s lifestyle and six-month-old baby girl in mind. With the addition of a small fence/gate and movable awning above, the design creates a wonderful place for crawling or walking toddlers. Jennifer’s design also utilized space to the west of the baby area for entertainment, storage and food prep. While they could add additional furnishings, their existing furniture could be enhanced with bright cushions and an outdoor rug to soften the concrete.
Jonah Nelson of Family Tree Nursery
Upcoming Garden Club Programs
May 17 – 10 a.m. It is a known fact that most of us at Lake Quivira enjoy our wine, and many of us have probably attended various functions over the years to learn more about wine. At our May 17 meeting, Eve Westcoat and Jeff Miller Sr. of Glazer’s Distributors will present a program focusing on the growing aspects of grapes–covering soils, climate and specifics of growing grapes, along with helping us understand better the differences between different kinds of wine and storage aspects of wine. Then, instead of having a traditional lunch, we will have 3-ounce tastings of three different spring/summer wines, each paired with an appetizer. A fourth pairing will be with chocolate covered strawberries from Edible Arrangements. Garden Club members will get the flyer via e-mail.
June 21 – 10 a.m. We will take a road trip to Lawrence to the home and garden of Matt and Judy Veatch. Their 1894 home is a 4000-square foot Victorian “painted lady,” surrounded by a 4000-square foot perennial garden. Lunch will follow in Lawrence.
