Hi GPODers!

I can’t believe our week on the 2024 Bitterroot Secret Garden Tour™ is already winding down. We’ve seen three incredible gardens so far, and today we get to tour the whimsical garden of Nate Scott and Daniel Owens. They take all of their lush plantings to the next level with some incredibly creative garden art:

Both Daniel and Nathan hail from Northern Indiana and Illinois, zone 5-6 areas, so temperatures were similar to Montana but the growing season was somewhat extended there. Luckily, they weren’t close enough to Lake Michigan to deal with the ‘lake effect’ snow and fog fluctuations that occur closer to the lake. Being in a more temperate area made it easier for Daniel to be creative on both personal and professional landscape projects. He drew influence from friends, neighbors and from public gardens and created his own expression in the creation of this beautiful, welcoming haven for birds and other wildlife in all seasons.

Nathan’s gardening journey began a little later, and he has been fortunate to have exposure to various types of gardens and gardening design that he has woven into his own personal style. Nathan has been inspired creatively by designers ranging from garden to fashion and after purchasing their property on Winkler Lane in 2018, their personal styles have blossomed. Nathan’s vision should always bring shouts of Oohh & Ahhs! Except for the mature trees on their property, they have solely created this head-turning garden retreat in only five years.

Their blended design of ‘pick-fresh’ foods, planted islands, a pond, perennials, annuals, eclectic yard art and personal artwork in every corner of the garden keeps visitors strolling slowly to take in every aspect of this delightful property. They are pleased to welcome you to enjoy this 10th Anniversary seasonal design and Alice’s Journey down the rabbit hole.

Two chairs in front of the fire pit are surrounded by paintings and garden art.

All kinds of found and treasured items are arranged throughout the gardens. Unique birdhouses get a standing ovation.

Lupines, chives, snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata, Zones 3–9), sedum, ferns, Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota, Zones 3–9) and barberries grace one side garden.

Tour goers enjoyed the scene and whimsy. The wind-blow weather vane is one of the many pieces of garden art.

A delightful gazebo in Nate and Daniel’s eclectic garden.

Wow, Nate and Daniel have crafted a garden that is a true wonderland! My favorite part of this tour so far has been seeing the diversity in gardens and how the same area can be approached with such distinctively different styles and plants. What has been your favorite part of this tour? Or maybe you’re a garden-tour-aficionado with a laundry list of garden tours under your belt, what keeps you going back for more? Let us know in the comments below!

And be sure to keep an eye out for our final stop on this virtual garden tour tomorrow.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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