Sidney Digs Gardening: Local Club Hosts First Annual Garden Tour

An array of colors scatter flowerbeds with a subtle sweet perfume filling the air, the beat of butterfly and bumble bee wings hum as they dance among the plants; Summer is in full bloom in Sidney, Nebraska. There's something to be said about the atmosphere of a small town on a hot summer day, neighbors wave from yards as sprinklers flurry, kids ride their bicycles past, attempting to cool off from the blistering temperatures. The wholesome ecosystem of a thriving garden extends out past its last pollinating plant and blends into the background of another summer in town.

Sidney Garden Club appreciates the hard work gardeners share with not only themselves, but their neighborhoods. In honor of those strenuous efforts, an official Garden Tour was organized to celebrate the achievements of those working to keep Sidney beautiful. The tour took place Saturday, July 20th from 9 am – 2 pm and included five private locations and three community plots throughout town. "We began planning the event a year and a half in advance. We hope to make this an annual event for Sidney," Garden Club President Nancy Sanders said. "We wanted to illustrate to the community that these are wonderful places that should be utilized."

Featured as part of the tour, house number five belonging to Melissa Misegadis-Wickstrom and her husband Joshua Wickstrom were asked to show off their garden. What makes the Misegadis-Wickstrom plot stand out from others is that it incorporates every last inch of real estate. From the "hell strip" between the road and sidewalk to the neighboring side beds and even the back alleyway, careful thought has gone into almost every available inch of soil.

Sitting down with the Misegadis-Wickstrom household, it becomes evident that they find themselves most content on the grounds surrounding their home. Filled with not only showy and rainbow-colored plots, the garden located off of the main neighborhood roads in central Sidney is brimming with life. From pollinators to wildlife, the pairings only compliment the couple's brood of cats and a corgi too.

"We think it's important to keep our yard looking nice not only for us but for others to enjoy as well," Misegadis-Wickstrom mentions, "My outlook on life revolves around an Elise DeWolfe quote, 'I'm going to make everything around me beautiful – that will be my life,' that's my inspiration."

An oasis of thriving splendor, pollinating perennials cover the nooks and crannies of the homestead, "People have this misconception that we have a master plan when in reality this is all just trial and error," Misegadis-Wickstrom mentions with a laugh, "We just love to garden."

The couple has been working in the garden together since 2011 when they decided to give a new hobby a shot and ended up falling head over heels in the process, "I feel like working in the garden is a spiritual experience, this is my therapy, I think it's important for everyone to have something like that," Misegadis-Wickstrom says, "There are many lessons to be learned in the garden while getting your hands dirty."

Strolling through the Misegadis-Wickstrom garden, one begins to notice the different rusted treasures and oddities hiding throughout the fields of luscious plants and flowers. From an "Iris Alley" on the side of the home, a Russian Sage hedge in the front, a pollinator island, and a greenhouse in the back, even the back alleyway is brimming with life and color. But, what's the trick to getting plants to thrive outdoors? "The biggest tip we'd give is, to water at night or in the evenings and follow the directions on the plant care cards. It's best to know if a plant needs direct or indirect sun, I research all the time," Misegadis-Wickstrom affirms.

As gardening is a labor of love, requiring dedication of time and lots of water, mostly in the form of perspiration; a garden can seem almost like a task or even an unbeatable feat, "It only takes a few weekends in the Spring to prep the beds, and we do not believe in Fall cleanup as there's evidence that doing so actually harms pollinators," Misegadis-Wickstrom comments, "I do a nightly garden stroll to decompress and pull weeds."

Working to create a beautiful space that's inclusive to all living beings, the Misegadis-Wickstrom household offers organic solutions to common garden woes such as pesky bugs and weeds, "I always plant extra to give the critters and creatures something to eat, it's only fair." Quick to point out the obvious, "We do our best to educate about the positive impact of a pesticide-free space, our philosophy is – the less human intervention, the better. Nature is always doing what it can to heal itself, we don't want to kill the 'good' insects trying to kill the 'bad' ones, wounds take time to heal. Nature often takes years."

The reach of the Misegadis-Wickstrom garden is clear to see, even just from across the street, "Our neighbor also created a pollinator strip in the front of their yard and filled it with wildflowers. We love seeing the positive impact on our neighborhood," Melissa mentions, "My Grandparents instilled within me the importance of leaving places better than you first found them. Be a good steward of what you have and how you treat your property and possessions."

Over 50 visitors sought out all eight locations on the Sidney Garden Tour. Community spaces also on the list included the Sidney Public Library, Memorial Gardens, and the Community Gardens at Deer Run Park. "Seeing all the lovely gardens and the sheer amount of work and devotion that goes into each, Sidney's Memorial Garden and the Community Garden deserve the time and attention," Garden Club President Nancy Sanders commented.

As a part of the tour, ticket-holding visitors were asked to vote for their favorite garden; Susannah Storm was awarded first place. Always looking to expand the ranks, Sidney Garden Club is seeking membership; their meetings take place the first Saturday of each month at 2 pm at the Sidney Public Library. The Garden Club is also recruiting avid gardeners for their tour next Summer, the perfect amount of time to prep. In the words of Misegadis-Wickstrom, "The cool thing about gardening is you can always move stuff, nothing is ever permanent."

Author Bio

Kelsey Arrington, Staff Reporter

Cheyenne County native, local business owner.