Rock Island County Master Gardeners, Dallas and Roxie DeShane, will host garden tours for the Home Grown Challenge through University of Illinois Extension, on Tuesday, August 11 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Their gardens are located at 3316 N. 1600th Avenue, Orion, IL (if you are coming from the QC Airport - go 5 miles east on Route 6, turn right at the green Orion sign on CR 12 blacktop - go 5 more miles to 1600 Avenue North. Take a left and go 1.3 miles and their driveway is on the left).
At Whispering Winds Ranch Arbors and Gardens, there are a variety of gardens available to see, from informal country gardens to full size vegetable gardens, berry bushes, a grape arbor, rhubarb patch, small apple orchard, and other fruit and nut trees. There are also four 40 foot gourd arbors with 102 hills, gourds growing in a container, over an antique wagon, on the ground and up a tree. The DeShane's grow produce with no pesticides which they sell at the East Moline Skateland Farmers Market. They also sell gourds in the fall beginning at the "Gourd"geous Day in the Country a day long free festival. You will see various ornamental gardens and raised beds featuring plants and flowers. They range from native flowers to roses, variety of shrubs and a number of hostas and heuchera. Some of the gardens are shade and others are in full sun. Down by the stocked 1.5 acre "Ponderin' Pond" is a grass garden with coneflowers and among the grasses is a bench to just sit, read a book or just ponder.
The DeShane's purchased their property 13 years ago when they started renovating their log home and planting their gardens. About five years ago, they became interested in gourds by purchasing one apple gourd and so began the gourd arbors and gardens. They started the QC Area Gourd Patch and host a gourd festival in the fall. They try to plant for pollinators as they value their presence and they feed many variety of birds and have seen some rather rare birds. Their gardens attract lots of wildlife, from twin fawns drinking down at the pond, to twin foxes who love ice skating on their frozen pond. The DeShane's enjoy sharing a bit of the country with people (and wildlife) and have hosted a number of events at their home. Each year they continue to add more to their gardens so each year when someone comes, they have new things to see.
The public is invited to attend the tour. Please register in advance at (309) 756-9978 Ext 10 or online at www.extension.uiuc.edu/rockisland and follow the Home Grown Challenge Garden Tour link.
