Zionsville’s Garden Tour, sponsored by SullivanMunce Cultural Center, returns from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. June 22 featuring seven local gardens.
The home of Garden Tour chair Mark Zalonis and his wife Sally is among the featured gardens.
Zalonis has spent more than 50 years working in horticulture. The couple moved to Zionsville in 1997 when Zalonis began his career with the Indianapolis Museum of Art, now Newfields. He served as Ruth Lilly deputy director for Environmental and Historic Preservation. As such, he was in charge of the gardens, the grounds, Oldfields and Fairbanks Art and Nature Park. He also oversaw the Miller house and gardens in Columbus, Indiana.
“In 1997, it looked nothing like it does today,” Zalonis said of his property at Third and Cedar streets that the couple refers to as “Village Corner Delight.”
The Zalonises have planted around the house and garage and have added incubating pots on the back porch. Thanks to the generosity of a neighbor, they can grow vegetables in the yard next door.
The couple grows several plants that are native to other places around the world, including a Persian ironwood tree, Japanese forest grass, Canadian ginger ground cover, Hungarian bears breeches and Koren goats beard.
“The Siberia iris is special,” Zalonis said of one of his plants, which was originally planted by his father and later moved and split, part of it to the Zalonis’ garden and another part to his sister’s home.
“He supported me in thinking I could actually make a living in horticulture,” he said of his father.
Additional gardens on the this year’s tour include:
- “Ashley’s Native Haven,” 4240 Strathmore Ln. owned by Ashley and Bill Edwards
- “The Highwood Heritage Garden” 305 S. 9th St. owned by Amie Droese’s garden
- “The Second Generation English Cottage Garden” at Brown’s Antiques, 315 N. 5th St.
- “London Garden” 295 S. 9th St. owned by John Pataky and Victoria Savidge
- “Work in Progress” 685 Terrace Dr. owned by Donna and Mark Jones
- “The Walnut Hills House and Gardens” 545 W. Poplar St. owned by Mark and Andra Walters
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the tour. Tickets are available at SullivanMunce Cultural Center, online at sullivanmunce.org or by calling 317-873-4900.
Contributed potted plants will also be available for purchase.
All proceeds go to support the programs provided at the SullivanMunce Cultural Center, including art, history, family genealogy research and the Century Structure Program.
