By Portia Williams
If you drive past 2116 Summit in Portsmouth, you will see perhaps one of the loveliest fall gardens in the city. Misty Johnson, homeowner puts a tremendous amount of effort into her garden complete with pumpkins and fall flowers reminding all who behold it that autumn is here.
Johnson said she was first motivated by her uncle, then by her co-workers at Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) to create her own garden.
“I love this time of year, the fall, where I work at decorating my garden. We have lived here at 2116 Summit for 18, going on 19 years, from watching gardening programs on HG TV, where I get some really nice ideas,” Misty Johnson said. “What motivated me most is probably my co-workers at SOMC we share ideas about plants, and I got intrigued, as well as my uncle Phil Carter in Ironton, who does more of the gardening with vegetables. I started out with the vegetables, then I moved to the perennials because they come back every year.”
She said her husband Larry Johnson jokes with her constantly about how her garden continues to expand on their front lawn.
“Our yard did not look like this when we moved here. It is so funny how my husband says eventually, we are not going to have a yard because I keep extending my garden out further and further,” Misty Johnson said.
Misty Johnson said she makes a concerted effort to shop local when seeking items for her garden.
“Blackburn’s is where I get a lot of my perennials, so they know me by name. I got my first rose bush, probably about 18 years ago, and my perennials I plant them every, they come back every year,” she said.
Other local business that Johnson frequents to shop for her garden include, the Southern Ohio Medical Center Gift Shop.
“The SOMC Gift Shop is where I get my little tin cans which are great for decorating. You can put pumpkins on them, you can use them at Christmas time.,” Misty Johnson said. “I really like the fall because the perennials that are planted in the spring, when they dead -head, they are great for fall foliage.”
Other beautiful flowers in Johnson’s garden include hostas, coral bells, black-eyed Susan’s, moon flowers.
“I try to mix colors in that blend in, your purples, your golds, your greens, and I love red. Red makes it pop,” she said. “I try to plant and space. I keep some of my baby’s breath, and I keep my tags, so that I will know what is planted where, which is something that you have to do because in the spring bulbs will come up. That will include all of my tulips, all of my hyacinths.
Geraniums are also among the different types of flowers that she has in her garden.
”I also make my own hanging pots. I like geraniums, as you can see the red geraniums. They are self-governing, so if I am on vacation, it won’t matter. My ferns I think accentuate my garden really well, and I get those at the Friend’s Center, when they sell them there. I try to buy local, to hope our local businesses,” Misty Johnson said.
Other local business that Johnson frequents to shop for her garden include, the Southern Ohio Medical Center Gift Shop.
“The SOMC Gift Shop is where I get my little tin cans which are great for decorating. You can put pumpkins on them, you can use them at Christmas time.,” she said. “I really like the fall because the perennials that are planted in the spring, when they dead -head, they are great for fall foliage.
Vegetables and herbs are featured in the garden as well.
“On the side of my house I have my vegetables and my herbs, my ball, I have oregano, my tomatoes, and my black-eyed Susan’s, which I use each year that gets really tall,and they come back every year,” Misty Johnson said. “I try to get things that come back each year because it is cost effective. My little granddaughter helps me in my garden,and I get her going, and started with planting. Then I have my basically, which I love to cook with, and my rosemary which is dying out now, but it gets really tall
Maintenance is a daily task for her garden.
“I get out here every day, and I pull weeds mainly, and then I deal with the mulch, and will cut all of this down after the last frost it will be bare and then I will start over again with my spring bulbs,” she said. “You will see more of the green foliage in the back here, that will stay.”
Misty Johnson said she continually receives an incredible amount of positive feedback from other Portsmouth residents about the beauty of her garden. Misty Johnson said also said she believes she has been an inspiration to others to start their own garden.
Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.
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