July 1, 1998 

When thinking about planting a flower garden most homeowners begin by searching their back yard for just the right spot. But Jack and Anne Koepke did something different at their home. They planted their garden out front where it can be seen and enjoyed by all who pass by. Although they didn't know it at the time, their project was part of a trend that is becoming more and more popular throughout the Midwest.

In England and Europe, front yard gardens have been the norm, and they have been common on both coasts of the U.S. for a long time. It has only been in the past ten years or so, however, that large flower gardens have taken root in the front yards of Midwest homes. In the heartland, the appearance of front yard gardens seems to coincide with burgeoning interest in flowering perennials. "It's a German tradition to have flower gardens in the front, so I guess it was natural for us to follow," says Jack.

For the Koepkes, the garden was a labor of love in several respects. They were good friends with their next-door neighbors, Adolph and Evelyn Josephson. When the Josephsons passed away, the Koepkes wanted a memorial to their neighbors. Jack and Anne also enjoy flowers, gardening, and the outdoors, as did the Josephsons, so a garden was the perfect tribute.

To get started, Jack and Anne sought the help of local garden designer Donna Dieter, who helped them select the plants and develop a design. The Koepkes wanted the garden to be attractive to butterflies, easy to maintain, and colorful throughout the growing season. Donna helped them choose plants that were reliably hardy and easy to grow. After Jack and Anne prepared the soil, Donna set the plants where they were to be planted and Jack and Anne put the plants into the ground.

For the center of the garden Jack created a copper sculpture of butterflies in flight. "We couldn't find exactly what we were looking for, so I decided to make ours," Jack says. "The garden art and sculpture available commercially was pretty expensive and now I know why. It is very time consuming to build."

The garden is triangular, bordered on two sides by the front walk and the driveway. The butterfly sculpture is the centerpiece surrounded by flowering perennials. Butterflies are drawn to the coneflowers, Sedums, garlic chives, Asters, Liatris, and Buddleia 'Nanho Purple' (butterfly bush). In late spring a huge blue columbine with hundreds of blossoms commands the attention of passersby. In July the large perennial Hibiscus, 'Disco Belle', becomes the focal point with flowers the size of dinner plates. The deep burgundy leaves of Heuchera 'Palace Purple', the silver-gray foliage of Artemisia 'Silver Mound' and Stachys 'Silver Carpet', and the fleshy reddish green leaves of Sedum 'Vera Jameson' provide texture and color from spring through fall.

Other blooming flowers in the garden include the lemon yellow Coreopsis 'Moonbeam', royal purple Veronica 'Goodness Grows', bright white Phlox 'David', Geranium 'Johnson's Blue', and golden yellow Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'. About 50 plants fill the 250 square feet of garden space.

The first season, the purple coneflowers in the back of the garden would not grow because the soil was too wet. "We replaced them several times," says Anne. "Finally we dug out ten wheelbarrows of soggy soil and replaced it with better draining soil from our back yard and that solved the problem. Now the garden is a joy. We add some mulch each year in the spring, and once a week we remove faded flowers and foliage."