36th Willow Garden Tour Including Arts and Crafts
*All directions on the 2021 Willow Garden Tour start at the Willow Community Center* Mile 69 off the Parks Highway.
Visit gardens IN ANY ORDER from 10:00-11:30 a.m. and 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 24, 2021. SEE directions below to Lunch break 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Coyote Gardens also open Sunday, July 25, noon to 4 p.m.
Again, Gardens open at 10 a.m.
Please, no pets on the tour and remember that the gardens are for show only, no picking of anything garden grown unless approved by owners.
Willow Community Center and new Library Building are under construction and closed on Saturday. Be cautious of construction equipment and any change in directions as you approach. Handout of directions is planned to be straight in driveway as you enter the Community Center parking lot and to the left, 23557 W Willow Community Center Circle, Willow.
Restrooms available at Newman’s Hilltop Tesoro Service Station. Porta Potties are outside of the Townsite Grocery/Tesoro Station. An outdoor restroom is also available at Newman Memorial Park, travel 1 mile North on the Parks Highway, turn left on Willow Creek Parkway proceed 0.9 miles west, Newman Park is on the left.
Restroom is also accessible at the lunch stop.
Look for Willow Garden Tour signs at each of the Stops.
Kathy and Bill Mailer, 12374 Hagion Shores Drive
Directions: From the Communityr Center drive south on the Parks Highway to Long Lake Road. Turn right and follow Long Lake Road through three 90 degree turns and continue until you reach Honey Bee Lake Road. Turn left on Honey Bee Lake Road (it turns into Hagion Shores Drive) and follow the main road approximately 1.4 miles. The Mailer’s House is on the left with the blue roof and cedar siding.
Kathy and Bill began designing their garden shortly after moving to Willow in 2002. While the two of them worked on building their home here, they also found time to design an English cottage style garden with curving beds and an emphasis on delphiniums. All delphiniums in the garden are grown from seed obtained from the English Delphinium Society. Peonies, roses, iris, lilies, thalictrum, and monkshood along with many unusual perennials are interspersed throughout. They built rock walls add depth and interest. Tall martagon lilies to the left of the garage welcome you on a path leading to a small vegetable garden and further on to a curving path framed by hostas, astilbe, primroses and lady’s mantles. The garden encompasses diverse growing conditions from sun to shade. Don’t miss the beautiful greenhouse that they designed and built where Kathy starts her delphiniums, vegetables and hundreds of annuals each winter and spring. Also ask to see the compost area, a very important component of Kathy and Bill’s garden. (Bill would love to talk to visitors and discuss how they make their own compost.)
WillowAK Pottery, Keith and Carol Goltz, 25879 W. Southlake DrIve
Directions: From the Community Center drive 1 mile North on the Parks Highway, take a left on Willow Creek Parkway, left on Crystal Lake Road, left on Shirley Lake Road, right on Michigan, left on West Southlake to first driveway on left: 25879 W. Southlake Drive, about eight minutes from the Community Center.
Carol Goltz’s WillowAK Pottery is a personal studio where functional "pottery with personality" is created and displayed in a lovely lakeside setting. Watch for gardening/nature theme.
Lunch Stop is from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Christy and Doyle Miller, 9314 N. Kime Ln. Garden is open for the Tour and will have local Artists displaying their art.
Directions: From Willow Community Center head South on Parks Highway for 3.2 miles, at milepost 66.5, turn right onto Buckingham Palace Road (watch for the H.P. Polaris business sign on right). Proceed 100 feet, turn left on Buckingham Palace, continue for 0.8 miles, paved road turns left and becomes Kime Lane. Continue following paved road for another 1.0 mile then turn right into cul de sac, 9314 N. Kime Lane is first driveway.
Christy and Doyle Miller refer to their garden as the “Tudli Bena Garden” which is the name Shem Pete, Dena’ina Chef, used for what is now called Nancy Lake where the Chef lived from 1944 - 1978. The tool shed is a restoration of an original Dena’ina cabin. This garden is a mix of old and new design. Old border beds established by the original owners in the late 1970’s - early ‘80’s line the driveway. The vegetable garden has been converted primarily to raised beds, with additional raised beds for herbs near the home for easy kitchen use. The newer low maintenance landscaping in front of the home has primarily shade tolerant plants. Paths throughout invite strolling and exploring. Continue around the home to view Nancy Lake, where you will find art and craft displays set out on the porch. Bring a sack lunch and a chair, enjoy watercolor art a jewelry - both for sale - and learn about Zentangle. Restroom available.
“Coyote Garden” Les Brake and Jerry Conrad, Mile 7.5 Willow Fishhook Road (Hatcher Pass Road)
Directions: Drive North from Willow Community Center to mile 71 Parks Highway. Turn Right onto Willow-Fishhook Road. Drive 7.5 miles up Willow-Fishhook Road. Signs will be posted. Coyote Garden is located on the Right side of road.
Les Brake’s Garden has been featured in numerous national magazines over the year’s. Coyote Gardens just keeps getting better and continues to receive kudos from well-respected garden publications all over the U.S. The garden was featured in Garden Design (Fall 2018) with an impressive article by Dan Hinkley, a well known garden writer.
Coyote Garden will be open both Saturday and Sunday, July 25, noon to 4 p.m. donation of $7 is suggested. All proceeds from donations received at Coyote Gardens will go to help support the Georgeson Botanical Gardens, located since 1906 at UAF, Fairbanks Experiment Farm. The Georgeson’s mission is to conduct research, education, and outreach in relation to high latitude horticulture.
Bryan Mills Family, Northern Spirit Rustics, North Blackie Loop
Directions: From Willow Community Center drive south 5.1 miles on Parks Highway. Turn left (east) on Twitty Avenue. Go 1/4 mile and curve left onto North Blackie Loop and drive another 1/4 mile. Garden sign posted on right side of road at driveway.
Bryan Mills and daughters Michaela and McCrae farm organically, raising crops and meat. Their crops include different varieties of potatoes, carrots, arugula, lettuce, cabbage, celery, beans, kale, kohlrabi, zucchini, onions, turnips, cucumbers, as well as many herbs. They also raise chickens — layers for year round egg supply and broilers. Bryan is a carpenter/furniture maker so all of his woodwork is available for sale, as well as the organic produce and eggs.
Check Willow Garden Club blog for further updates:
http://willowgardenclub.blogspot.com/
Thanks for helping the Willow Garden Club celebrate its 30th year,
and 36 years of Garden Tours!
See map below:
