The Big Ole Garden By the Lake

If you have ever driven past BB Lane Gardens or drifted by on Lake Iroquois you already know her. She is not the type to whisper for your attention and she certainly does not apologize for the space she takes up. She spills toward the road and the water with a confidence that practically dares you to look twice. It is a regular occurrence those visiting the lake to lean out their windows just to shout their admiration across the air. I receive it all with a smile that knows exactly why they are lingering because there is no limit to the material that feeds my ego when the view is this good. Still, I will tell you something honest. When the garden is a mess I feel it in my own skin. Usually I look the part too but the moment I put my full effort into that dirt everything changes. I enter the garden as one person and leave as another entirely. I walk out rejuvenated and frankly unstoppable.

Now in its sixth season BB Lane Gardens has reached a maturity that only comes with a bit of history. Last year she had to rest while the world around us got loud and messy. Between the relentless dust from the road and the nearby construction…