Hostas provide the focal point for the gardens of Rick and Kathie Schutt, W7647 Walnut Road, one of six gardens in the area’s 13th annual Garden Walk.
Benefiting the Safe Haven Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Support Center, the event will be held, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Trees surround the Schutts’ gardens, which include ferns, coral bells, bleedinghearts, fox gloves, lilies and many annuals, creating a colorful and peaceful setting.
“I don’t realize it’s anything special because I work in it all the time,” Kathie said. “There’s a lot to see here. We started small and kept going.”
There is no doubt, however, that hostas are the stars of the gardens, which the Schutts have spent 10 years creating.
“Every year we add on,” said Rick, who is the landscaper and does the muscle work. “I’m a farm kid, so I think that’s where it started.”
They created their gardens from scratch after moving into their home in 1976. It began slowly at first, but then picked up speed as they found that their yard was a natural habitat for hostas.
“This is a great year for hostas,” said Kathie, who is a member of the American Hosta Society.
Since the gardens are turning out so well, the Schutts have invested more money into planting and have traveled around the state looking for hostas. They also have a nursery, where they grow hosta plants from seeds.
“We got a couple that are pretty rare,” Rick said.
All the plants are carefully spaced and measured in the garden beds.
“I got a stick,” Rick said. “I’m sort of fussy.”
The gardens have grown even more robust since the couple raised some beds where tree roots got in the way. They did all the work themselves.
“He digs the hole, I plant,” Kathie said. “We did it all by trial and error.”
They work on the gardens every day, which keeps them manageable. Their dog, Brie, is the chipmunk chaser. Rick sprays the perimeter to keep the deer out.
Over the years, people have told the Schutts, who are retired, that they should be in the Garden Walk. “This year the plants look so awesome, we just had to do it,” Rick said.
Kathie said they also wanted to do it to help the shelter.
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