Hilton woman’s garden has become her passion and a source of inspiration for many
by Grace Griffee
Hilton resident Bonnie Bullivant shows one of the garden decorations she and her daughter, Lisa Kenyon, make from vintage glassware. When 400 people show up to see your garden, you know it must be something special. That is what happened when Bonnie Bullivant agreed to hold a tour for a Greece gardening group last year. The Hilton home she shares with her husband, Roger, was transformed from a cattle farm to a two-acre perpetual perennial garden that draws avid gardeners from near and far.
Bonnie, who is related to the well-known Rochester florist families of Rockcastle and Justice, never like gardening when she was young. After moving into her Burritt Road home, she let 10 years pass before she decided to tackle the treeless yard covered in farm grass. “I went to the library and began researching how to transform the yard,” she said. “Now, I ‘Google’ everything!”
At the time, Bonnie was working as a nurse practitioner teaching classes in diabetes and weight management, mental health issues and smoking cessation at Rochester General Hospital and in doctor’s offices.
Now, in her retirement, gardening and sharing her love of gardening has become her passion. A natural teacher, Bonnie offers many classes in gardening to gardening clubs, community education programs, libraries and state parks. Her long list of classes include basic and advanced gardening, hydroponic gardening, garden décor, container gardening, garden pathways, wall gardening and many more. “I learn just as much from the people in my classes as they learn from me,” she said.
Some of the whimsical decor that can be found in the Bullivant garden at their home on Burritt Road.Bonnie relates her long career in the medical field to her class “Gardening for Your Health.” “When people garden, a product similar to serotonin is released from the soil, which is why so many people feel better both physically and mentally when they have their hands in the soil,” she said. Bonnie also encourages people to have plants in their homes, not just outside. “When we’re cooped up inside all winter, it’s especially important to have plants in our homes because they remove many of the toxins in the air,” she pointed out.
Bonnie’s garden, which is actually a series of many gardens, features common plants, trees and bushes, along with benches, water features, birdhouses and other decorations, many of which were built by her husband, Roger. But the garden also has some plants not normally found thriving in our area. “I try to provide the correct environment for plants that don’t normally grow here,” she said as she pointed to a false cypress. A yucca plant, paw paw tree and wood roses also find their home in Bonnie’s garden.
Toward the back of the property is the “good dirt pile” that has been enriched with compost, and the “bad dirt pile” that is the dirt yet to be enriched. A raised bed garden built by Roger has seedlings of the many plants Bonnie grows, so that she always has them to pass down to family members. “When I die, I hope my daughters remember me for what I taught them about flowers,” said Bonnie. “I hope the people who attend my classes remember me the same way.”
While the gardens look beautiful and different throughout each season because Bonnie has planted flowers that bloom at different times, the most exquisite time is June, which is when the Bullivant’s daughter, Lisa Kenyon, was married there.
Lisa and her mom embarked on a new project this year that is aimed at making everyone’s gardens more eye catching. They are taking old glass plates, cups and bowls and making garden decorations that glisten in the sunlight. “I ‘Googled’ ‘unusual ideas for your garden’ for my class and found a way to use a special glue to make glass flowers and attach a threaded metal rod that can be stuck in the ground,” explained Bonnie. She and Lisa comb garage sales, the Salvation Army and even their own cupboards for glass dinnerware in different colors. About half of what they use is vintage.
The flowers and bird baths are each unique, range in size, come in many different colors and sell for $20-$45. “We sell them with or without the rod and if someone comes to the house to buy, then we give them a break on the price because we don’t have to ship,” said Bonnie.
Bonnie welcomes individuals and groups to tour her garden. She does informal tours and even invites people to walk around her garden on their own. “Gardeners are honest people,” she said. “They love and respect life, and are good people.”
Note: For information about Mother and Daughter Garden Art or to inquire about classes or tours, call Bonnie at 392-5969 or visit their page on Facebook.
