“I hate lawns,” said Gina Camodeca of Lewiston. “They’re unnatural. They can’t look good without the help of pesticides. You have to mow it, so it’s labor- and resource-intensive.”
Camodeca has created grassless yards in both the front and back of her home at 360 N. 4th St., which she shared on the garden walk during the Lewiston GardenFest on June 23 and 24.
Her front yard, which you can see above and at left, is a lush perennial garden criss-crossed with paths that she created three years ago in September.
Her tip for choosing plants is to go to a garden center throughout the growing season and buy things that are in bloom. That way, you’ll have flowers blooming in your garden throughout the year.
Another tip she shared was to plant flowers with lovely fragrances, such as lilacs, near your windows so you can enjoy them even when you’re in the house.
Camodeca said she got impatient planting the front garden and planted the perennials too close together. This spring they had grown into each other and she had to put in some work to separate them.
The back became a grassless yard early this spring. She doesn’t use herbicides, so to kill the grass, she lay down black tarps. The tarps held in the heat and “cooked” the grass, she said. Then they mixed humus into the soil.
After laying down a six-inch layer of mulch, they set stones in place to create paths. Camodeca said the stones will eventually sink into the mulch just enough to be level and won’t get hidden.
“It’s easier than digging them in,” she said.
Next year she will plant perennials in the backyard, but this year she is using mostly annuals for a showy look for her wedding to fiance Aaron Menczynski in August. Above right is a stone patio where they will exchange vows.
While many gardeners would find a yard as shady as Camodeca’s to be a challenge, she finds it a joy. It was a refreshing area during Saturday’s summer heat. 
“Some gardens look great with showy flowers, but you can’t sit in them because they’re too hot,” she said. “I love these trees. It doesn’t ever get too hot out here. You can go in the hot tub even on an 80-degree day.”
Camodeca looks for plants with lime green or purple foliage. Below right is ligularia, which has purple leaves the size of dinner plates and gets dark yellow flowers in the fall.
She has bleeding hearts, about 20 different kinds of hostas, and coral bells or heuchera, which grow well even in deep shade.
Herbs actually do well in the shade because they tend to grow more slowly and don’t get leggy. Plus, herbs like oregano that might take over a garden when planted in the sun will remain more confined. Thyme can make a nice ground cover, she pointed out.
While it’s mostly shady in the backyard, she watches for pockets of sun. Any spot that gets more than six hours of sun is planted with vegetables. In the photo below, the area to the right of the fort is a vegetable patch.
The fort was built by Camodeca’s father for her sons, Bruno, now 14, and Calvin, 12. Steps inside the house lead to the lookout area. They also have an area for archery.
Her fiance loves Polish pickles, so they grow various cucumbers, dill and other herbs for pickling, as well as peppers and tomatoes.
Hint: Camodeca plants marigolds near the tomatoes to keep the aphids off the tomatoes. She also uses diatamatious earth to keep the slugs away.
“It’s just sand, really,” she said.
Camodeca spends about a half hour each morning weeding.
“I find it kind of meditative,” she said. Some of the flowers, such as bachelor’s buttons, seed themselves, so she might find them in new areas of the garden.
“I’m not uptight about where things grow,” Camodeca said. “If something migrates across the yard, that’s okay. I don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Camodeca grows plants in one more area: her roof.
She has what is called a living roof, and the plants aren’t so much on her roof as they are her roof. Instead of shingles, the roof is covered with plants living in a four-inch-deep growing medium.
“The roof is a natural air conditioner,” she said. “The house was a lot hotter before.”
Camodeca believes she has the only green roof in Lewiston. She made it with the assistance of a company that makes straw bale houses. In addition to the plants, there are stone slabs the size of a yoga mat on the roof, and she occasionally conducts yoga classes there.
In addition to the garden walk, the Lewiston GardenFest also included vendors, speakers and a container garden contest. The public cast votes for their favorite container gardens, and Sally Knize of Lewiston won for her boat, seen at right.
Coming up this weekend: Village of Williamsville Garden Walk from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Saturday, June 30. See more information our Upcoming Events Page or at the National Garden Festival website.
All photos by Connie Oswald Stofko
Very nice post, Connie, and lovely images. I will be having other gardens featured from this walk as well, glad you did this one.
Everybody, you can see Donna’s posts– always with great photos!– on her Garden Walk, Garden Talk blog at http://gardenwalkgardentalk.com.