Spectacular garden in Albion will be featured on tour Saturday
Photos by Kristina Gabalski: The garden at the Riley family home in Albion, located off Braley Street near Butts Road by the canal, will be featured on a tour Saturday.
ALBION – The volunteer master gardeners at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension are planning a garden party on Saturday at the home of long-time Albion resident Jeanette Riley.
Participants will be able to stroll and explore the extensive gardens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as they enjoy festivities.
“We will have Zambistro’s catering, LynOaken/Leonard Oakes Estate Winery wine tasting, gardening-related lectures, and much more,” Master Gardener Kim Hazel said.
Jeanette Riley discusses her garden with Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Don O’Keefe in preparation for the Garden Party event on Saturday.
The Garden Party is a first-time event for Master Gardeners and takes the place of summer garden tours of years past.
Jeanette’s gardens were featured on the 2016 Master Gardener Garden Paths tour and offer multiple garden rooms filled with both native and unusual plants, garden ornaments, seating, gazebos, arbors and garden outbuildings, one which is constructed to include a tree trunk as part of one of its walls.
Lighting plays a major roll in ornamentation and night-time illumination in the garden. This ornate lantern looks just as beautiful in daylight as in moonlight. Note the crown embellishing the top of the post.
Jeanette said her family didn’t get serious about putting in gardens until about 20 years ago. Now, the expansive yard, which backs up to the Erie Canal, offers a seemingly endless Eden and reflects the love of the Riley family for gardening and for each other.
In fact, Jeanette said her greatest joy comes from, “being able to work with my mother and brother in the garden.”
Jeanette, her mother Alma and brother Willie have been most involved in creating and maintaing the garden, but it is enjoyed by all of Alma’s children (she has 10) and now her grandchildren when they come home for visits.
A gargoyle perches high above the garden pathway.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program which offers educational workshops, trainings, youth horticulture programs and more.
More information is available at orleans.cce.cornell.edu. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
There is ample evidence throughout the garden that the Riley’s enjoy reflecting their sense of humor. Here, a sanding frog statue supports an armillary sphere.
An amazing variety of bird houses not only add charm to Jeanette’s garden, they also welcome the birds.
Small, intriguing details can be found throughout Jeanette’s garden. Here, a rustic planter in the shape of a face gazes upward and sports a crown of succulents.
A clock rises above the varied plantings and reminds gardeners anytime is a good time to be in the garden.
