Garden tour features backyard retreat
By CYNTHIA AUKERMAN
News-Gazette reporter
Jim and Anna Hufford's backyard is a retreat outlined in the bright colors of generously-planted annuals. In a relatively small space, they have used nine flats of flowers, 24 geraniums and several hanging baskets. The backyard is surrounded by a white picket fence that provides a perfect backdrop for the bright flowers.
"This is the fruit of our labor," Anna says. "This is my relaxation."
An in-ground pool is literally a step or two away from the back door. The Huffords put in the 34 years ago, and later they built an addition to their Oak Street home, bringing the pool and the house right together.
Jim built everything in sight - the wooden deck and gazebo gracing the pool. Anna's favorite annual, bright begonias, fill the flower boxes attached to railings. She likes the begonias because they are heat tolerant.
A nearby heart-shaped, stone-lined sloping bed is filled with the hearty begonias.
While annuals are the highlight of the current Hufford backyard retreat, perennials may be assuming a more important role in the future. At age 70, and as much as she loves gardening, Anna is thinking about cutting back on the planting, so perennials will become more important.
Anna sighs and says, "All I get done is weed. I'm out here every day for hours. But perennials have to be weeded too!"
The Huffords are moving more of their flowers to pots in the hopes of cutting down on weeding chores.
The backyard contains evidence of their 43 years on Oak Street. They raised their family there. Jim built a doll's house but the kids are gone now, so the doll house has become their own private garden supply house.
At the rear of the backyard is Anna's garden patch, something she swears to give up each year. She says, "I say absolutely no more vegetables, then every spring I forget my promise."
As any gardener knows, growing the vegetables is just the start of the work. Anna still does some canning, especially if her tomatoes are extra fruitful.
There are three water fountains, one by the rose arbor, one in the vegetable garden that Anna promises to do without, and one on the pool deck.
In addition to building everything for their garden, Jim also helps with everything, even though he's not much for plants. Anna says Jim thinks everything is a weed, so she has to be outside with him when he's working.
A cancer survivor, Anna kept gardening right through her illness.
"It takes me longer now," Anna says. "Jim really helps, but he's not as patient."
The Huffords' colorful backyard retreat will be one of six gardens featured in the Preservation Society's garden tour Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29. Tickets are now on sale at the Antique Mall. On garden tour days, the tickets will be on sale at the Community Room, 103 N. Columbia St., Union City, where there will also be an Indoor Garden Cafe from 12 to 4 p.m.
