As well as over 300 varieties of rare and common hostas. There are no ponds, no figurines, no whatever that steals the from serenity of nature. Just hostas and the tools that I need to overcome the challenges of my disabilities. Fern Creek Gardens was started after I had to take early retirement in 2000 because of disability. I needed something I could do to stay as active as possible. Something t
aking my disabilities into consideration. I had been a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with a concentration in Rehabilitation Technology for the State of Wisconsin Division of Workforce Development. Doing my best to enable people with disabilities that wanted to work reach their goals. Gardening is a lifelong passion and the best exercise a person can do. I bought my first hostas before 1985 and had a nice collection. I was about 50 miles from the home of Foxfire Gardens. On a highway that many took to get there. So, one day I put up a cardboard sign with "HOSTAS" at the end of my driveway. Wisconsin requires a license and business name for selling anything over a specific income. There is a creek that was unnamed flowing through the property. The south bank is covered with ferns. My sister Cora Marie has a friend named Fern who suggested Fern Creek Gardens. A new chapter in my life began. I did more and more selling as my collection grew. Then, I started selling in the Hosta Library Auction alongside one of my mentors at Naylor Creek Nursery. This required shipping and a lot more work than I should have been doing. I was doing too much and my health suffered. Then a brown recluse spider bite really shut me down. I was not able to take care of the gardens for a couple years. In May of 2022 I was able to gradually begin gardening again. It is truly wonderful in more ways than I can count to be able to pursue my horticultural activities again. The hosta walk was over 200 yards (2 football fields) long with varying widths above the creek. I can no longer take care of such a large area. So I'm currently rescuing hosta from the couple years of nature reclaiming the land. My gardens suffered and are very small compared to before. I need to limit how much I do. So, Fern Creek Gardens will only be open by scheduling a visit. I do not know if I will start shipping again. The next chapter of the story is being written.
