An overcast day couldn’t keep people away or hide the beauty of the six home gardens on this year’s Secret Gardens of the Johns Creek Community tour.
Organized and curated by Johns Creek Beautification, the annual tour is a self-paced, drive-yourself exploration of some of the most beautiful home gardens in the city. True to its name, the list of gardens was top-secret until a few days prior to the May 9 event, when ticket-holders were given a link to the addresses, garden descriptions and other tour information.
Two of us from THE CREEK were able to make it to most of the homes on the list, meet the homeowners and a few members of the Johns Creek Beautification team and enjoy the perfectly immersive Secret Garden experience. That experience included not just a walk through lush greenery and flowers, but also live acoustic music and artists set up to paint at each location.
Friendly greeters stationed at garden entrances welcomed hundreds of guests throughout the day, and docents were on hand to discuss the details of the gardens and answer questions.
It was a wonderful weekend morning outing, filled with quiet neighborhood gardens, local art and music and a deep feeling of community.
Garden 1 – Miskell Residence
“Tucked within a natural woodland setting, this peaceful garden invites visitors to slow down and connect with nature. With its serene atmosphere, natural beauty and subtle spiritual elements, it feels like a true retreat where every path reveals a sense of care and harmony with the surrounding woods.” – Johns Creek Beautification
The Miskell family have lived in their Johns Creek home for 10 years. Jane Miskell, a staff attorney for a Gwinnett County judge, shared that for the first five years, she focused just on planting areas around the existing patio. “Because of three kids under 12, a job, a commute, soccer and sports and all kinds of things,” she said.
But over time, her creativity in the garden has spread to include dozens of varieties of plants, including creeping Jenny, hibiscus and hostas — centered around water elements and old-growth trees and filling both shaded and sunny areas of the property with different shades of green and pops of color.
Garden photos by Rico Figliolini.
To counter the deer that used to visit and dine in the garden, Jane said she chose varieties of hosta that “are not their favorites” and sprayed with Liquid Fence to keep them away.
As with all of the gardeners on the tour, the Miskell’s lush backyard is an ongoing work in progress. Perennials and annuals, ground coverings, garden treasures and décor change with the seasons and the years, guided by a vision for the space and the hard work that goes into creating and maintaining it.
Miskell shared that the garden’s yard art, statues, planters and fountains are sourced from Braemor Gardens. The lovely Japanese maples came from the Kinsey Family Farm. And most of their shrubs and groundcovers are from Woody’s Wholesale Nursery in Duluth.
Even with the amount of time and effort — weeding and mulching, feeding and planting — that is required for a backyard oasis, Miskell said it’s a nice outlet from daily stresses. And the results offer not just a beautiful landscape to look at, but a peaceful space for the family – and their friends — to gather.
Garden 2 – Barnhill Residence
“This charming, rustic, Williamsburg-inspired garden invites visitors to step back in time. From the white picket fence and brick walkways to the enclosed cottage garden and inviting loggia filled with vintage wicker, every detail has been carefully considered. Even the trees — redbud, dogwood, quince and witch hazel — were chosen to enhance the garden’s historical feel.” – Johns Creek Beautification
Nestled on several acres and designated a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat, the Barnhill garden is a serene oasis in a suburban setting. Utilizing shaded areas as well as those in full or partial sun, owner Nancy Barnhill, a former school teacher, has filled the space with deep green ground cover, trees and climbing vines, colorful flowers such as hydrangeas, irises and azaleas and garden treasures tucked into almost every corner.
Barnhill shared that it takes a lot of work to maintain the beautiful outdoor space, especially in the weeks leading up to the Secret Gardens Tour. But it’s something she loves to do. Her plantings are done as naturally as possible, using organic products to protect the wildlife — birds, bees and butterflies — that visit or make their homes in the family’s garden.
Garden 3 – Peterson Residence
“This stunning backyard retreat features a lower-level outdoor living area, complete with two pergolas and a fireplace. Stone steps and a winding pathway lead to a spacious upper-level pergola, where a backdrop of Green Giant Arborvitae provides privacy and a beautiful natural setting.” – Johns Creek Beautification
Julie and Ron Peterson have lived in their Johns Creek home since 1991, designing and enhancing their garden over the last seven years to become an idyllic spot to relax or entertain friends and family.
With lovely classic details, such as an iron gate and stone path, a charming English rose garden and open areas blooming with azaleas, hydrangeas and other flowers, the home garden is structured, but also warm and inviting, complemented by large pots overflowing with varying shades of green and pops of red, purple and white throughout.
Besides the rose garden, a few of the botanical focal points include tea olive shrubs, black eyed Susans, rhododendrons and the shade-loving Siebold’s plantain lily, a perennial with large heart-shaped leaves and “pale violet to white summer flowers.”
A comfortable patio seating area, pergola, a large, stone firepit and mature trees work together with the manicured hedges and plantings to create a cozy outdoor space that’s beautiful all year long.
Garden 4 – Morel Residence
“Stepping into this hillside haven feels like entering a painting, rich with history and heart. Stone terraces wind gracefully down the hillside, accented by hand-selected boulders and pathways that cradle a lush world of color. Beneath a welcoming pergola, the soft murmur of a cascading water feature and the crackle of a rustic fireplace beckon quiet reflection.” – Johns Creek Beautification
It’s hard to believe when looking at it now, but the Morel’s backyard garden was once a steep, barren slope of land. But in 1996, with a vision of what the space could be and the help of a master gardener and landscape designer, the family set to work turning the empty canvas into an inviting outdoor space that blends wild, natural beauty with carefully planned plantings and lovingly curated details.
At its heart is a central patio surrounded by lush shrubs and flowers, creeping vines and layers of green — from groundcover to newly planted trees to towering conifers. A winding stone path leads through the space, past hydrangeas, roses, boxwoods and nearly 20 varieties of Japanese maples while old-growth trees provide depth and height and a forest-feel to the garden.
Michele Morel’s clear vision of the outdoor space she wanted to create, along with a commitment to “supporting pollinators and the native ecosystem” and two decades of hard work and loving care has led to the garden being certified a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation — an inviting sanctuary for family, friends and local wildlife.
Garden 5 – Knous Residence
“Upon entering this garden, you immediately sense that it was thoughtfully designed for year-round beauty, with a diverse collection of trees and shrubs, including an abundance of hydrangeas and camelias. A natural creek runs alongside the property and has been beautifully incorporated into the design.” – Johns Creek Beautification
With a winding waterfall, stone terraces, steps and pathways, stepping into the Knous family’s garden feels like stepping into a natural, wooded retreat.
The steep and shaded corner lot required Kirk and Kathleen Knous, who have lived in the home for over 40 years, to get creative when designing and creating their backyard oasis. They eschewed the manicured lawn idea and instead let the space lead the vision.
Inspired by the live creek that runs alongside the backyard space, they worked with a local landscaper to hardscape a natural waterfall that flows into a small pond and created different seating areas in which to enjoy the surroundings.
Today, guests find multiple varieties of hydrangeas, colorful azaleas, towering trees, shrubs in differing shades of green, water sculptures and other decorative treasures and dry creek beds integrated throughout. It’s both wild and natural and thoughtfully laid out to create a feeling of peace and calm whether you are walking through it, sitting on the lower patio or next to the creek or looking out on it from the home’s cozy upper deck.
Garden 6 – Spicher Residence
“This petite garden unfolds like a tapestry of color and texture, inspired by the timeless charm of the English cottage style. Winding stone paths meander through manicured borders where foxgloves and hollyhocks mingle freely with hostas and creeping Jenny. A whimsical folly bestows support for rambling roses and offers a unique perspective on the vista unfolding beneath it.” – Johns Creek Beautification
Reportedly inspired by the work of an 18th century English gardener named Capability Brown, Sarah Spicher’s lovely backyard garden is a showcase of manicured hedges, rambling roses, a folly with Greek-inspired columns and classic cottage-style details throughout.
Winding stone paths lead garden visitors past colorful foxgloves and hollyhocks, hostas and creeping Jenny. Dense plantings in varying shades of green — from light to dark — are the perfect backdrop for the home’s statuary and garden ornaments. And sweet-smelling flowers such as peonies and star jasmine add to the beauty.
There’s structure to the garden’s design, but it isn’t rigid. Instead, it flows as a space that feels both wildly natural and cultivated at the same time, with layered levels of lush growth — from groundcover to wooded canopy and everything in between — creating a classic, timeless and lovingly curated oasis of calm and relaxation.
