John’s Getaway Garden in Illinois, Part 2

John getaway garden. A brief context to set expectations.

John getaway garden: Quick notes

Hi GPODers!

We’re back in Manteno, Illinois to enjoy the gorgeous gardens of John and Lee Algozzini. In case you missed it yesterday (be sure to check out Part 1, if you did) John is a recently retired garden designer with decades of experience and plenty of awards under his belt. He creates gorgeous designs for his clients, but has crafted an equally delightful landscape at his home. This is his “getaway garden”.

Another wonderful shot of John’s back garden. A wonderful mix of ornamental grass and vibrant flowers make for a diverse and eclectic landscape.

John’s expansive plant palette highlights his style. There are plenty of under-appreciated species and cultivars as well we classic beauties like this ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, Zone 3–8).

John’s patio is a shady oasis that is already gorgeous thanks to beautiful hardscaping and furniture choices, but pairs of beautiful crotons (Codiaeum variegatum, Zone 11–12 or as an annual) and ferns connect it to the gardens and add vibrant color.

This photo really highlights the calm, cool vibe of John’s garden. While the patio is dominated by hotter colors, greens in purples in other areas of the garden provide a wonderful sense of serenity. A mint green and purple bench is the perfect accent in this vignette, and must be a lovely spot for a quick pause.

Continuing the purple theme, a ‘Caesar’s Brother’ Siberian iris (Iris sibirica ‘Caesar’s Brother’, Zone 3–8) adds a richer and more vibrant hue to the garden.

As I mentioned yesterday, John has an incredible collection of daylilies. The cultivar ‘Charlie’s Dream’ (Hemerocallis ‘Charlie’s Dream’, Zone 3–9) is a striking mix of light pink and bright yellow.

Another one of John’s fantastic plant selections is this Osprey spiderwort (Tradescantia x andersoniana ‘Osprey’, Zone 4–9). The three-petal blooms of spiderwort are really striking, but the vibrant and spiky foliage makes this plant a double-dose of interest.

John gave us a glimpse of the interest still found in his gardens during the winter months. A Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora, Zone 3–7) becomes even more sculpturesque when coated with ice and snow.

And we’ll end on another stunning cultivar in John’s daylily collection,’Apricot Sparkles’ (Hemerocallis ‘Apricot Sparkles’, Zone 3–9).

Thank you so much for these gorgeous photos of your garden and a wonderful introduction to your designs, John! If this is what you create in your spare time, I cannot imagine the beauty you created for your clients.

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