Welcome to 1 Genna Way

The garden tour begins in front of the sycamore tree. This is one of the largest trees on the property. The age of the tree is not known, but it is likely at least 150 years old. Beneath the sycamore tree we have planted viburnum, sedum, ferns, hostas, (that grow when the deer do not eat them) and astilbe. When we first acquired the property, this tree was covered in thick vines that covered the trunk and weighed on the branches. They were a combination of poison ivy, bittersweet vine and virginia creeper. It took a tremendous amount of effort and help from the neighbor, Jeff, to rid the tree of the invasive vines.

Moving along the driveway, you will see a stream. While it is not a rushing body of water, it runs year-round, even in years when we have drought in the summer. Along the stream we have planted ferns, and an assortment of shade-loving plants. The trees take up a lot of moisture, so it has been difficult to find plants that will thrive in this area.  To the left is our firepit. This was our first project on the property. We enjoy a calm evening of sitting by the fire and making s’mores. The driveway is lined with catalpa trees. They were planted at least 100 years ago, according to an arborist who visited. They were spaced 10 feet apart when planted, but many of them have been lost. As you walk down the driveway, you will notice many small trees. These are Kousa dogwood trees. We originally planted 75 seedlings. Over the years we have lost some and currently have 55 growing. 

As you reach the bend in the driveway, you will notice a tunnel in front of you. This goes underneath 9W and provides direct access to the Powelton Club golf course. We do not use the tunnel, but neighbor kids find it fascinating and it is a good short cut to the Powelton Club hills for sledding.

From the driveway, one can see the many evergreen trees we have planted along 9W. The road tends to be noisy. By planting evergreen trees, we hope to screen the view from the road and hopefully reduce the road noise. We have planted green giant arborvitae, Norway spruce, white pines, and white fir trees – a total of 125 trees. In front of the evergreen trees, we have planted Yoshino cherry, yellow magnolia and purple magnolia trees.

Looking across the lawn, you will see we have left an area as a meadow. We do not mow this part of the lawn and have allowed the yarrow and other plants to grow. We have supplemented the plants that were self seeded, with some additional meadow seeds.  This is an experiment and one we may continue to expand upon next year. 

To the left is a wooden entrance gate to the Oriental Garden. The inscription above the gate is in Burmese. A plaque hanging on the right posts provides a translation. The oriental garden is full of yews, ferns, peonies (herbaceous, Itoh and tree varieties) and many historic iris. The historic iris were purchased through the Historic Iris Preservation Society.  Walking up the steps you will see a Japanese style lantern or shrine. We are waiting to find the perfect thing to put into it.

Beyond the hammock is our pool. The landscaping around the pool is comprised of ferns, hostas, and hydrangea. The large tree at the corner of the pool is a river birch. Not the best tree to have by the pool, as it drops seeds and catkins each spring, in addition to dropping weak branches throughout the year. It has also been afflicted with the woolly caterpillar this year and last year.

The white picket fence encloses our vegetable garden. The upright supports are covered with morning glories by the end of summer. The solar panel is also here. This provides all of our electricity for our house, car, lawnmowers, pool filtration system, and all other power equipment.

Walking past the solar panels, the large tree with the low branches is a tulip poplar. Based  on the large size, it is likely to be about the same age as the sycamore tree. Throughout this part of the yard, we have catalpa trees, maple trees, Japanese maple trees, and our newest tree – an American Yellowwood tree.

In the middle of the lawn, is an extremely old Japanese maple. We have been told it is in excess of 150 years old. We lost a significant branch this past spring. We do not know if it is in decline, or just naturally unable to support so many branches. 

The large tree by the driveway is a pink saucer magnolia. In spring, the tree is gloriously covered in pink flowers.

Making your way across the driveway and past the Japanese maple in front of the house, you will pass a stone picnic area. Two white iron urns mark the entrance to the woodland garden. When we first moved to the property, this area was impenetrable. It was overgrown with invasive plants, the worst of which was Japanese Honeysuckle bushes. We cleared ut all of the bushes, built paths and began to slowly build the woodland garden. Walking straight ahead from the urns, you will see a bridge in the distance. The fenced area is called the secret garden. It is not really a secret, but this area has plants the deer cannot resist. The white structure in the garden is a folly, built from the old wooden garage doors that were removed when the garage doors needed to be replaced. Past the white structure, is Dobby’s house. This was a large oak tree that fell in a storm. A sizeable piece of the trunk was saved and made a perfect “house” for which the neighborhood children marvel. Dobby’s mailbox was crafted from the old electrical panel that was upgraded in the basement. The openings allow for Dobby to leave notes and gifts for the neighborhood children.

It has been a wet year, so some of the paths are accessible. In the center of the woodland garden is an overgrown area. We are experimenting in this area. We have planted many different plants that have not survived. Eventually we will get the right mix, and this will turn into a nice part of the garden. Until then it is a rustic wildly overgrown mix of encroaching weeds and desirable plants.

Our entire garden is a work in process. The grounds comprise 5.67 acres. We have planted over 300 trees (partial list at the end), 5,500 spring blooming bulbs, and countless perennials. It takes a lot of effort to maintain such a large garden, but the garden provides its own rewards. It is a lovely and peaceful retreat year-round. If you wish to see photos of the garden throughout the year, you may visit Paul Brothe on Instagram. Likewise, this web site features many stories about our home and garden projects. We hope you have enjoyed your tour of our garden.

Tree list for our little arboretum

1. Green Giant Arborvitae
2. Norway Spruce
3. Eastern White Pine
4. Blue Spruce
5. White Fir
6. Sparkling Arrow Alaskan Cedar
7. Japanese Umbrella Pine
8. Canadian Hemlock
9. Vanderwolf Pine
10. Austrian Pine
11. Red Pine
12. Catalpa
13. Linden
14. Gingko Biloba
15. American Yellowwood
16. River Birch
17. Redbud
18. Dawn Redwood
19. Bald Cyprus
20. Saucer Magnolia (Pink, Yellow, Purple)
21. Sweet Bay Magnolia
22. Southern Magnolia
23. Star Magnolia
24. Oak
25. Maple – various
26. Red Horse Chestnut
27. Yoshino Cherry
28. Weeping Cherry
29. Tulip Poplar
30. Japanese Maple – various
31. Walnut
32. Chinese Fringe
33. Sumac
34. Weeping Willow
35. Mulberry – White
36. American Dogwood
37. Kouza Dogwood
38. Sycamore