Dixie Regional Tour Gardens | 2019

The Garden of Vickie and Al Thompson

The Thompson home and gardens on the Nanticoke River are an ongoing do-it-yourself project that has evolved over the past 25 years.  Al is responsible for the design and execution of the hardscaping: the patio, retaining walls, brick paths, the pier, a potting shed, and most recently, his race boat garage.  Vickie, a Delaware master gardener, has become a plant student, collector and educator.

Their gardens contain about 350 varieties of hostas, a large varietity of heucheras (coral bells), over 140 varieties of hydrangeas, and many smaller collections.  Nearly every plant is labeled for identification, thus providing an opportunity to jot down the names of plants that you are interested in.

The goal of continuous color in the garden is accomplished starting with spring bulbs and flowering trees, blooming shrubs, annuals and perennials through the warm season, and colorful fall foliage with evergreen berries and blooms in the winter.  This is a garden that needs to be revisited throughout the year.