Photos by Andrea Rugg
“This house was just a little tan brick box when we bought it,” says homeowner and gardener Bette Fenton. “We have added on, remodeled, and grown it, and the gardens have evolved along with the house because I believe in an ‘outside in and inside out’ philosophy.”
Even on my mid-winter visit, I could see the truth in Bette’s words. The home inside is floral—artfully so. From the framed art and family room furniture to the peony-colored walls, the entire home feels as though it’s in full bloom. And it’s all arranged just right, like the plantings of real masters. It’s clear gardeners live here.
In fact, Bette and her husband, Curt, have lived in their Hopkins home since 1978, growing and evolving their gardens based on need. As trees aged, they planted shade gardens. When they needed additional workspace for Curt’s bonsai cultivation, they built an 8-by-12-foot garden shed, which also created opportunities to install window boxes. And when a neighbor painted their house in colors the Fentons didn’t love, they expanded the garden for a better view.
Who Grows Whom?
Gardening is about more than nice visuals. Simply put, “A garden feeds your soul,” Bette says. “When I’m in the garden, I’m talking to my mom and grandmother—they were both gardeners. I’m also talking to God.”
“In the summer, we will just sit in chairs in the yard and look at the garden,” Curt adds. “We have made a lot of friends doing this. It’s fun to tour their houses, too.” He continues, “Do you know how many containers we had last summer? 132.”
Listening to Bette and Curt talk about this passion project, it’s clear gardening is a part of them—inside and out.
“It enhances our lives,” says Bette. “We stay strong and healthy and flexible. I can lift a 50-pound bag of soil and haul my own stuff in the wheelbarrow. And I love it when the neighborhood kids ride their bikes past and say, ‘We like your flowers.’”
Floral Box Formula
The garden shed has three window boxes where the Fentons opt for a variety of plantings. Wire vine on both ends flank of a curated collection of fillers, spillers, and thrillers—including Praying Hands hostas, French Quarter coleus, and a selection of pink-tone begonias.
Rooted in History
This Rocky Mountain-born Ponderosa Pine is nurtured from a tree Curt estimates to be a few hundred years old. He has tended to it—bonsai style—for about four years. “It stays outside year-round but is protected for the winter when it’s dormant,” he explains. “I will repot it this spring. It’s unreal to think about this tree growing in the mountainous rocky soil.”
Digging Up Drama
This container shows Bette’s desire for floral drama. The black elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta) towers over the SunPatiens, a brand of impatiens available in almost any shade of red, purple, pink, or white. “I like to have drama,” she says. “That’s why I do so many containers—the colors are amazing. I do have some perennials, but I like the annuals because I can create that drama.”
