Submitted Photo Judy Wilcox, Sally Newell, Angie Leone and Audrey Parker were among the Bud ‘n Bloom garden club members who enjoyed Robert Root’s extensive gardens on a recent tour.

On a rare, clear, perfect June afternoon, the Bud ‘n Bloom Garden Club arrived at the Margay Street residence of Bob Root in Dunkirk for their June meeting and tour. Surrounding the home was a perfectly groomed hedge, some evergreen bushes and a few flower specimens. White Peonies, lime green Hostas, gray white Dusty Miller and some climbing Clematis. All were lovely, but certainly not a prediction of the amazing, perfectly groomed, elaborate, color-coordinated, sun and shade gardens in the rear of the home.

Chairman Sallie Muscato had contacted Root in 2018 to request a garden tour. Root was delighted to share his 28 years of gardening expertise with the group. Every in-season specimen was perfectly spaced and healthy, – growing to huge heights with large full blooms.

A small garden bed along the driveway had lime green Hostas, purple Dutch Iris, variegated Canna Lilies popping up and pale green Sedum filling the empty spaces. Blue, prickly Sea Holly rested near the house. Near the rear of the house, relaxing music announced the main garden. There were nine pots of herbs and annuals, a patio with a Chinese lantern, gorgeous fuscia Peony in full bloom, blue stone “water” accents, purple Clematis and lime green Hostas.

A blue gazing ball accented the rust and pale yellow Iris, the red Roses and the blue-green Hostas. Members of the club followed a pathway to the second city lot of Root’s garden. Here, a new red and white trellis separated the plastic-covered rows of the vegetable garden with its sturdy plants popping through the black covering. Large golden Marigolds added color.

Rose colored “Pinks” ( a member of the Carnation family), blue Lirilope, 6 foot tall Clematis plants in various colors and softball sized purple and yellow Iris surrounded a 4 – foot tall Single Red Peony plant. Twelve additional trellises lined the fence along one side of the lot with pink, white, orchid and blue-purple Clematis crawling up the lines and happily sprawling out onto nearby bushes and trees.

Part of the lot was covered with large pine trees. Decorating the ground were fallen pine cones. Birds chirped in the Red Maple tree and the Yellow Peony tree. Sunshine Yarow lined a path of purple sand into the shade garden. A pink sprawling Azalea bush, a garden pond, a 3-foot brown Buddha statue and a 4-ft Japanese Pagoda statue weighing 400 pounds marked the tranquil shade area. Japanese Painted Ferns, burgundy Hydrangea, Oriental Lilies, Maiden Hair Ferns, Oak Leaf Hydrangea and orchid Impatience loved the coolness of the shade. “Curly Fries” Hostas and various Coral Bell plantings filled in areas.

Shasta Daisies, Cone Flowers, more Roses and many Day Lilies were obviously ready to bloom in the next flush of summer. Root invited the group to see the next season of the garden as the club reluctantly left the magic of Root’s creation, a labor of love.

The group then traveled to the Linwood Drive, Dunkirk home of Joe and Sallie Muscato. Sallie and her co-chairwoman, Sue Alonge, had planned a pot luck dinner for the group with favorite salads, seafood, chicken, vegetable and fruit dishes. Three beverages and five desserts were also served. Three buffet tables were set up in the “screened in” summer room. New pale ivory tablecloths, napkin and plates with lemon and blue flowers and 5 blue cantaloupe-sized pots held plantings of white and yellow Bacopa, all in perfect symmetry.

At the Muscato home, all of the rock-lined flower beds were perfectly groomed and covered with cocoa colored mulch. Flower urns and window boxes were filled with colorful annuals near the front door. Behind the gray fencing was a Japanese garden with a stone waterfall bubbling in the corner. A stone pagoda, Ferns, Lilies, Honeysuckle climbing the fence and an inviting black bench added to the quiet splendor. White Impatience, Peach Begonias, and violet Iris graced the area near the summer room. Wicker furniture with floral pillows accented the lawn for relaxation.

President Penny Deakin directed a brief meeting. She announced the successful results of the recent plant sale. Secretary, Judy Kawski, passed out possible program request cards for the next season. Karen Ryder, shared materials from her recent Hamilton, Ontario trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Canada. Janet Centner shared a list of plants that are deer resistant and volunteered to chair a ways and means committee.

Next month, Gen Dloniak and Angie Smith-Leone will co-chair the July meeting. Visits to the Sue Cobb and the Anita Luce gardens are planned for July 10 starting at 1:30 p.m. The group will be treated afterwards at the Big Dipper in Dunkirk.