Saturday, July 6, 2019 ● The Gazette
LIVING
A birdhouse modeled after a
chapel sits between two hy-
drangea bushes at the home
of Teresa and Randy Dusil in
Cedar Rapids.
Hen and Chicks grows in a pair
of golf shoes.
Baby’s breath in blooms
Wednesday in the Dusil garden.
Figures representing Iowa and
Iowa State allegiance in the
style of “American Gothic” are
displayed in the Dusil garden.
IF YOU GO
l What: Linn County Master
Gardeners Garden Walk
l When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 13
l Cost: Free
l Details: (319) 447-0647,
extension.iastate.edu/linn/
news/2019-garden-walk
THINGS
TO DO
TODAY
POWERED BY HOOPLA:
WWW.HOOPLANOW.COM
1C
Garden
passions
A mix of annual and perennials are in bloom in Buffy’s Garden at the home of Teresa and Randy Dusil, 2812
Chester Ct. in Cedar Rapids. The Dusil garden is one of six on this year’s Master Gardeners of Linn County
Garden Walk on July 13.
THE GARDENS
l Dusil garden: 2812 Chester Ct., Cedar Rapids
l Nilsson garden: 3601 Terrace Hill Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids
l Pearson garden: 5420 Plainview Dr. NW, Cedar Rapids
l Chadima garden: 1816 Washington Ave. SE,
Cedar Rapids
l Hansen garden: 401 Cottage Grove Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids
l Pohl garden: 1101 25th St. SE, Cedar Rapids
FARMERS MARKET Cedar Rapids
Downtown Farmers’ Market
The event features nearly 200 local Iowa
vendors offering an array of products from
fresh produce and flowers to meats and
artisan gifts as well as entertainment and
activities for the children.
l When: 7:30 a.m. to noon today
l Where: Downtown Cedar Rapids
EDUCATIONAL “Is that Allowed?”
Living under the Soviet Union style of
Communism had its difficulties, but one of the
biggest issues was the extreme restrictions
on what people were allowed to own, do or
say. Students will learn about some of the
similarities and differences between their life
and growing up in communist Czechoslovakia.
l When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today
l Where: National Czech & Slovak Museum &
Library, 1400 Inspiration Pl. SW, Cedar Rapids
l Cost: Free
Master Gardener
tour showcases
six Linn County
gardens
By Alison Gowans, The Gazette
C
EDAR RAPIDS — Tommy
the cat — his full name is
Tom Selleck, but he most-
ly answers to Tommy — posed
on a garden bench at Teresa and
Randy Dusil’s garden on the
outskirts of Cedar Rapids and
Hiawatha on Wednesday.
If he acted like he owned
the garden, that’s because, in a
way, he does. The Dusils have
multiple themed garden beds
spread across their one acre
property, and the bench Tommy
favored is in the middle of the
cat garden.
The Dusils’ garden is one of
six stops on the Master Garden-
ers of Linn County Garden Walk
happening July 13.
Visitors can stop at each
of the participating gardens
anytime between 10 a.m. and 4
p.m. to see a range of gardening
styles and learn about the plants
and methods used in each. Gar-
dens include the Nilsson garden,
which uses terraces to garden a
sloped yard, the Pearson
;; GARDENS, PAGE 2C
Liz Martin photos/The Gazette Tom Selleck, known as Tommy, sits on a
bench in the cat garden Wednesday at
the home of Teresa and Randy Dusil in
Cedar Rapids.
OTHER UPCOMING GARDEN TOURS
l Tour an elegant urban garden: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday,
2040 Rochester Ct., Iowa City, free, details at
backyardabundance.org/tour.
l Project GREEN open gardens weekend: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
July 13 and 14, free, maps with more than 30 participating
gardens available at sponsor businesses and the Ned Ashton
House, 820 Park Rd., Iowa City; details at projectgreen.org.
MUSIC 10th Annual Bourbon FESTIVAL CRPrideFest
and Blues Festival There will be family-friendly activities, vendors,
The Cedar Ridge’s annual music festival a DJ and the Eastern Iowa Circus throughout
will feature local, regional, national and the day. Performances include Eastern Iowa
international touring talent. Arts Academy at 11:15 a.m., Isaac Burris at
l When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today
12:15 p.m., a drag show at 1:15 p.m. and
Awful Purdies at 3 p.m.
l Where: Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery,
l When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today
1441 Marak Rd. NW, Swisher
l Where: NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St.
l Cost: Free
SE, Cedar Rapids
l Cost: Free
FUNDRAISER Music on the Prairie
Performing will be the Rochester Ramblers
followed by Home Brewed. West Music will
have a musical workshop during intermission.
MUSIC Hairball Rocks the Ballpark
Hairball from Minneapolis glams it up with hits
There also will be guided tours and hayrack
rides. Bring a picnic or purchase food from
Baroncini’s.
from Van Halen, Kiss, Motley Crue, Queen,
Journey and Aerosmith — all with ’80s big-hair
flair.
© 2019 The Gazette
l When: 4 to 9 p.m. today l When: 7:30 p.m. today
l Where: Belgum Grove, 3261 500th St. SW, l Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium,
Iowa City 950 Rockford Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids
l Cost: Free but freewill donations accepted l Cost: $20 to $50
2C The Gazette ● Saturday, July 6, 2019

LIVING

Gardens/Theme gardens offer fun

;; FROM PAGE 1C
garden, with a water feature
and bird sanctuary, the Pohl
garden, with a vegetable-fo-
cused urban farm, and more.
The garden walk, which in
the past cost money to attend,
will be free this year, as a way
to give back to the community,
organizers said. The Master
Gardeners, administered
through the Iowa State Uni-
versity Extension, is a trained
volunteer program dedicated
to sharing gardening educa-
tion with the public.
The Dusils both became
Master Gardeners about 10
years ago, after their son left
for college. Teresa is director
of operations at Meth-Wick
Community, and
Randy is retired
from a career
in construction
management.
“I’m just inter-
ested in plants,
and I love being
Teresa Dusil outside,” Teresa
said.
When she
signed up for
Master Gardener
classes, Randy de-
cided to join her.
“I looked at
it as a lifetime
Randy Dusil learning oppor- Liz Martin photos/The Gazette
tunity,” he said.
Antique farm implements are displayed among lawn ornaments in the vegetable garden at the home of Teresa and Randy Dusil in Cedar Rapids. The Dusil garden
“You’re always learning some- is one of six on this year’s Master Gardeners of Linn County Garden Walk set for July 13.
thing new.”
Their gardening efforts
have been a part of that life-
long learning ethos. When
they moved into their house
in 1996, it was on a field off
a gravel road in rural Linn
County. The road is paved
now, and more houses have
filled in around them. The
property has filled in, too.
Trees they planted 20 years
ago as saplings now tower
over their house, providing
shades for beds of hostas.
The hostas came from their
previous home. They trans-
planted about a dozen with
them, one each of different
varieties, and they’ve been di-
viding them since then, so now
ample beds are spread around
the house. Verbena blooms in the garden.
Other plants also have been
split and propagated over the
years, such as a bed of coral
bells with soft pink leaves in
front of the house.
Throughout their garden
beds, annuals such as petunias
intermingle with perennials Tom Selleck, known as Tommy, sits on a bench in the cat garden.
like spirea, lilies and yellow
flowering loosestrife. Multiple with one bed featuring a golf point out a “House Divided” frigerated to replant the next
varieties of hydrangeas grow bag filled with potted plants sign in another bed — she sup- spring. “It’s satisfying to see
around the house, and along and golf shoes planted with ports the Hawkeyes. the blooms, and when it’s har-
one side of the yard a trel- succulents. One of Randy’s favorite vest time, it’s satisfying to get
lis supports climbing purple Garden art is prolific areas is the vegetable garden, the rewards,” Randy said. “We
clematis blooms. around the yard; many of the where he grows a bounty of usually have enough to pass
Two beds support swaying themed beds started with a vegetables, from sweet corn to on to others.”
common milkweed. The Dusils piece of garden art and grew tomatoes, peppers, herbs and The yard is designed for
said they haven’t seen cater- from there, Teresa said. other produce. Tommy the cat entertaining, with a fire pit
pillars on them this year, but “Almost everything is helps keep the rabbits at bay, Teresa built on one end and a
as they were showing the bed something someone gave me,” though he wears a bell, Teresa children’s play set on another,
a monarch fluttered up on cue she said. said, to give birds a chance. where a host of grandchildren
to alight on a nearby flowering The couple are Chicago The bed includes straw and nieces and nephews regu-
bush. Cubs fans, so one bed is dedi- bale gardening supporting larly congregate. Tomatoes have begun to ripen in the
Each bed has a theme. cated to the team, with all red, cucumbers, as well as a pump- The play set is functional, Dusil garden.
Along with the cat garden bed white and blue flowers. Randy kin patch he planted with but still has a touch of garden
— which includes a headstone is an Iowa State fan, so an- his grandson. Each fall, they whimsy; on one railing hangs those before I was born. Now
for a late cat, Rudi, who died other bed is complete with all have enough pumpkins so a planted garden box. It came they have a place,” she said.
in 2017 — there are garden Cyclone red and yellow blown all the children in the family from her parent’s house, Te-
beds dedicated to other former glass art and red and yellow can carve one. The seeds they resa said. l Comments: (319) 398-8339;
pets and to hobbies like golf, flowers. Teresa was quick to scoop out are saved and re- “My dad probably built alison.gowans@thegazette.com

Stoney Point Meadows Senior

Living & Memory Care is affordable
and unique to Cedar Rapids!
MONTHLY RENT
INCLUDES EVERYTHING!
• NO Buy-in Fee
• NO Move-in Fee
• NO Community Fee
• NO Activity Fee
• NO Nursing Care Fee
Schedule a tour today
319-382-5080
jenifer.angerer@cassialife.org
© 2019 The Gazette

1900 Stoney Point Road SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

www.StoneyPointMeadows.com