With niches of loving care, this garden is magical.
Story by Judy Goppert / Photography by Matt Kocourek
Family and friends. This is how Marlene Weishaar’s garden initially took flight. Years of life events and passion for gardening have contributed to this unique mecca of amazing ambiance. Her lovely Edelweiss Townhome sits in this quaint, friendly community located in Merriam, KS.
“I have lived here for a total of 41 years and moved to my current duplex home nine years ago, after owning a smaller center unit in a four-plex,” she explained. “I grew up on a farm just north of Nortonville, in Atchison County, KS, and enjoyed helping my mother in our large vegetable garden. My mother also grew a lot of flowers each year. Her flowers were mostly perennials that came back each year or annuals that re-seeded themselves. Often, she would either give or receive plants from friends and family. I grew up loving the picture of a whole row of peonies, iris or poppies in full bloom.”
After Marlene semi-retired in 2010, she applied to become a Johnson County Extension Master Gardener which gave her exposure to training and how other gardeners created their vision in color and texture. She continued, “I was awed by gardens I saw on both the public and in-house garden tours! Living in a planned community with limited space challenged me to make the best use of limited space.”
She was so honored to have her garden featured on the 2024 Johnson County Extension Master Gardener tour. Her special spot was selected as an example of gardening in small spaces. A hailstorm the week before this tour had her scrambling to get the garden repaired in time!
“As we downsize in later years, we face the challenge of creating small compact gardens and extended living spaces to keep our inner flower child alive,” she noted.
A special “Welcome to Marlene’s Garden” sign was a gift from Edelweiss residents upon her retirement in 2023 after 12 years as Administrator for the HOA.
Her neighbors inspired her to create an inviting front porch. She enjoys the friendly people who walk in the evening and get to know each other. “I wanted my front porch to be welcoming and say ‘sit, relax, chat or just enjoy the view,’” she smiled.
There are many birds tucked around in her collection of statuary and sculptures, as she loves watching birds and feeding them year-round. In the winter, she enjoys sitting in her living room and watching the cardinals, finches, and doves alight on her feeder.
“I also had bluebirds last year! In the spring I put up two hummingbird feeders and get excited to see the first scout arrive,” she noted, her eyes sparkling. “My good friend and neighbor made several mosaic birdhouses for me to use in my garden. The swan birdbath in the lower patio area came from another neighbor’s backyard where it was hidden in a tangle of Japanese Honeysuckle. I immediately started envisioning how it would look on my patio and asked if I could barter a little gardening time for the birdbath.”
Another standout is the sunflower sculpture made by Rito, a metal works artist in Topeka who was a good friend to her brother-in-law. Rito had created a two-panel entry gate for him with similar sunflowers across it. She explained, “I fell in love with these sunflowers and asked if he could create one for me. My brother-in-law generously installed it and gave it to me as a gift for my garden. This creative artist has since passed away, making it even more special.”
A lifelike girl stature smiles from a basket designed by her talented fellow master gardener, Bonnie Duma, who used fresh flowers to create a unique look for the tour. The antique mailbox on the side of the column was found in an antique store and the rabbit and Creeping Jenny were added to create a whimsical feature.
Marlene’s inner flower child is always blooming up to the surface, as is her back garden area that flows behind her duplex into her neighbor’s back garden, offering space to try new plants and keep the color going all season.
“After my neighbors moved in three years ago, they removed the patio fencing which created an opportunity to make one connected flowing garden. Space limitations are always a big challenge, so the weeping cherry tree and climbing roses in this back garden were selected to give height while using space wisely,” she continued. “The gazing ball and black and white birdhouse were just the right touches to make the garden interesting but not overdone.”
The back stone patio is truly her pride and joy, as she had a hand in building it. Right after COVID, her contractor couldn’t find help with this project, so she jumped in to make it a joint year-and-a-half work effort.
At the beginning of the project, her elderly mother was living with her and had trouble getting down the steps to the patio. She noted, “One of my goals was to raise an upper layer to be only one step down so she could enjoy the patio.”
“Plans for the patio were fluid throughout, always changing. My contractor designed the pergola to resemble two bay windows, and all the lattice was handmade. The back gate is a beautiful focal point when entering the patio from the outside. My vision was a Tree of Life medallion as the center and cedar slats in the lower half,” she enamored. “Once again, our metal artist friend, Rito, found a wonderful Tree of Life medallion, and then built the gate around it. It took two men to carry the gate to be installed!”
Her cheerful patio was designed to be two individual rooms, with the upper terrace boasting a tropical feel with palm and hibiscus. It is home to her quaint porch swing and some herbs baskets. The lower terrace displays splashes of color with three concrete urns containing Prince Tut Papyrus, coleus, sunpatiens, and calibrachoa. The birdbath is surrounded by pots of ferns and colorful coleus.
“My day is complete when I can sit on my porch swing and just enjoy the beautiful, peaceful view,” she mused.
