the garden of
Chuck and Gail Steele
 We have an acre of land that is long and narrow, about 100 feet wide and over 300 feet long.  There are 42 different kinds of trees on it so shade is abundant.  It was in the fall of 1995 that the Southeast Wisconsin Hosta Society was organized and that was also the beginning of a passion for hosta.

At that time we had four hosta that were planted way out in the back by the old garden shed.  By the time summer of 1996 rolled around we had learned enough about hosta to know that we wanted more of them.  Truckloads of soil were brought in to create beds with contours to them.  Eventually the front yard was filled and we proceeded into the back yard.  There was never any master plan as we developed winding trails of wood chips and paths of stepping stones and medium sized gravel.

The narrow beds became wider and the grassy areas began to get narrower.  The 5000 or so spring flowering bulbs awaken the hosta gardens and then give way to over 1000 different types of hosta mixed with perennials.  Many flats of annuals are used to plant the borders and blue pots intermingled throughout the gardens.  Fountains, bird baths, over 100 rose bushes and retaining walls all add interest to the gardens.  An oriental garden is under construction beyond the intermittent stream that cuts through the back yard.


The home was remodeled with Arts and Crafts influence and that was carried over to the new garden shed in back.  When the garage was remodeled a winter cool greenhouse/summer outdoor living room was added on using recycled windows and doors.  Our multi-level deck allows us to enjoy our gardens while eating out and when entertaining friends.  We hope that you will enjoy our gardens even more than we do.
   
 

Garden Tour Photos




Back Yard Birdbath H. 'Eventide' Front Yard
 




Steele Garden H. 'Grand Prize' H. 'Lakeside Meadow Ice' H. 'Lakeside San Kao'
 




Back Garden Buddha H. 'Sea Fire' Tri-color Beech
   

 
   
Our Visit: Marie and Jeff White
Parkersburg, IA

Bottle Brush?
 Approaching the Steele Garden, one of the first things you see is the ‘Welcome to our Garden’ sign.  The adjoining pathway, to the garden at the front of the house, leads you into a beautiful mixture of mature hosta and companion plants.

Moving along the driveway toward the back of the house, the welcome continues past the garage, on to the multilevel deck and backyard.  They have laid out the paver walkway to resemble a carpet.  A trellis, protecting a portion of the deck, is covered with a lush wisteria in full bloom.  The garage itself had been remodeled to include a fabulous garden living room, which, we were told, doubles as a cool greenhouse in the winter.  This provides the perfect cold weather shelter for their more tender plants.  The doors and windows had been salvaged by Chuck over the years, and were perfect for this room.

The garden is also accented throughout with Chuck’s ‘finds’, a wonderful mixture of various columns, wheels, metal, wrought iron gates, and more, decorate the garden without detracting from the beauty of the hostas.  Chuck and Gail have used the color blue throughout the garden to accent the natural beauty of their hostas and other perennials.  They have repeated the blue in pottery and glass to tie the garden together.

A large mature Hosta ‘Peter Ruh’ and a ‘Lakeside Banana Bay’ were stunning finds among the huge selection of hostas and other perennials, which included pulmonaria, ferns, peonies, roses, begonias, plus some annuals.  Their tricolor beech was absolutely beautiful.

According to Gail, the intermittent creek at the back of the property had turned into a 'raging river' just days before, and had flooded much of the backyard.  Parts of the garden were unfortunately off-limits to foot traffic, as there was still standing water and some squishy areas.  Gratefully, we were still able to view the rest of the garden from safe pathways.
Garden living room in garage
Great Colors
H. 'Azure Snow'
Garden UrnFront garden near house
 

Nestled into a back corner of this narrow garden is Chuck’s tool shed.  It is hard to imagine that this garden is only an acre.  The Steele’s have beautifully optimized their property to make it seem much larger than it actually is.  Benches are tucked into the landscape and provide excellent vantage points for relaxing in this wonderful garden.

Under construction is an Oriental-themed garden.  Resting on a wooden platform is a large, serene terracotta Buddha.  A smaller Buddha rests nearby, along with other statuary and a bench.  This addition to their garden is already amazing, and when finished will be fabulous.

Chuck and Gail have such an interesting and beautiful garden; it would be wonderful to be able to watch how this labor of love continues to evolve in the years to come.
  

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