Dennis Denoyer’s front and back yard is filled with the fruits of his labor — An expansive garden just in front of his home in Lake Leelanau features an array of colorful flowers sure to catch anyone’s attention when driving by.
You can expect to see everything from mammoth sunflowers with stalks reaching to nearly the roof of his house to a wide selection of hibiscus varieties planted out front and surrounding the property. Behind his home, Denoyer had planted enough vegetables to last him all summer — heirloom tomatoes, giant squash and zucchini are some of the crops currently thriving under his gardening care. Denoyer said he shares much of the tomatoes that he grows with his girlfriend across the street, who also has a love for gardening, and the zucchini will most likely be used for zucchini bread.
“I just like it (the garden) looking good,” Denoyer said. “I like to keep it nice and neat and try to keep the grass out of it. I get started on it first thing in the spring.”
