A Walk Through Nancy’s Garden
A whimsical, naturalistic garden with a lived-in feeling, and a clear gardener’s hand behind it.
Spring 2026
Club members recently spent an evening touring Nancy Schettler’s garden, a layered and highly personal one-acre landscape where every path, plant, tree, garden structure, and decorative detail invited notice, questions, conversation, and admiration.
This was a whimsical, naturalistic garden with a lived-in feeling, where plants were allowed to fill their space, spill forward, and settle into the beds. Vinca, lily of the valley, and Japanese butterbur are just some of the vigorous groundcovers that would overwhelm most gardeners, but that Nancy keeps confidently in check. The result is soil that stays covered and beds that hold together, giving the garden a full, settled look. The final effect was not of a disorderly garden, but of one with balance, rhythm, and a clear gardener’s hand behind it.
Nancy led members along the pathways, stopping often to point out plants of interest and share what she has learned from growing them. Along the way, members saw irises in purple, yellow, burgundy, and bicolor, ornamental alliums and Welsh onions in full bloom, peonies, hostas in a dozen variations of green, blue, and gold, forget-me-nots, ferns, rhododendrons, and more. A variety of berry bushes, fruit trees, grapevines, and a vegetable garden protected by wire fencing made the acre feel both ornamental and productive.
A massive ash tree anchors one side of the property, with conifers on the other. At the center stands a large native tulip tree in full bloom, one of the garden’s great beauties. A storybook garden shed, a weathered wooden arbor, a pond, and other smaller features add to the sense that this garden has been built slowly, personally, and with pleasure.
Nancy’s garden offered members more than a pleasant walk. It was a chance to see how an abundant garden can remain cohesive when guided by experience, observation, and a willingness to let plants show what they can do.
