ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Sunday, July 21, the Bay de Noc Gardeners, Delta County Master Gardener Association, and the MUS Extension will host the annual “Gardens in Bloom” walking tour. One Escanaba couple is preparing their unique garden for the event.
Joe and Gwen Guenette have been married for 46 years.
“I had a job at the Cut River Inn and he drove semi, so I would see him all the time at the restaurant,” said Gwen. “It just developed from there. It’s kind of a Yooper love story.”
For the last 12 – 15 of those years, they have been growing their garden together.
“My mother and dad always had big gardens,” Gwen recalled. “When I moved up here, we lived more in the country. I didn’t have gardens because the deer would eat it. We put a fence up and little by little, it just evolved into this.”
The garden now spreads across about an acre of land in the Guenette’s backyard, which they call Half Moon Gardens.
“We had gone to a rummage sale and the man had a little sign that said ‘Half Moon Road,'” Gwen said. “We have a little path that goes back in the woods, so we named that Half Moon Road. I had some mirrors that were moons and we put little signs up that say ‘Half Moon Gardens.'”
Gwen handles the flowers, which are mostly perennials. Joe’s woodworking talents and love of old farm tools bring the garden to life.
“I’ve carved bears, I’ve made some beautiful, beautiful tables, the bench,” he said. “I hollow out whole cedar logs and make corner cabinets. She made glass art encased with all beach glass that we picked up; I just did a little driftwood mural.”
It all comes together to make Half Moon Gardens an immersive display filled with creatures that sharp-eyed visitors can find in every nook and cranny.
“Some are hidden, some are open,” Joe said. “If you just go through, you’re going to miss three-quarters of it.”
“It’s a joint collaboration on where to put things, how to plant them,” said Gwen. “We’re both creative enough to see the other’s vision.”
The garden also includes some standalone pieces, like a small group of roses, that are more than just flowers.
“It’s a piece of history,” Gwen explained. “It got passed from a daughter to a daughter onto us. It just keeps blooming.”
Joe added, “A lot of things here are [from] family or friends or relatives that bring back memories.”
Half Moon Gardens is one of seven “Gardens in Bloom” stops. This year will be the Guenettes’ first time sharing their creations on the walk in a decade. They hope their garden encourages visitors to slow down, smell the flowers, and consider creating a special place of their own.
“Start small,” Gwen said. “You can always add. Don’t be straight down the line, you know? Throw something in. If it doesn’t look good, dig it up and move it. Anybody can garden, even if it’s only in a pot.”
“And enjoy it,” said Joe.
The “Gardens in Bloom” walk begins Sunday at 1 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Attendees can visit two large country gardens, three small city gardens, a lakeside garden, and a garden on Lake Shore Drive in any order.
Tickets and a map of the walk are available for $10 at Gust Asp’s, Pam’s Petals, and Wickert Floral in Escanaba, and at Trotter’s Floral and Frame Farm in Gladstone. On Sunday, tickets will be available at Gust Asp’s and at each garden.
For more information on the “Gardens in Bloom” walk, call (906) 399-3237. Click here to see WZMQ 19’s feature on one of last year’s tour stops.
