ALLOUEZ (NBC 26) — Seven private gardens across Allouez, East De Pere and Green Bay will open to the public Saturday, July 18 for the fourth annual Green Bay Garden Walk, giving visitors a chance to explore colorful landscapes, historic properties and the personal stories rooted in each space.
One of this year’s featured stops belongs to Allouez resident Pete Angilello, whose garden has been decades in the making.
“When we bought the property, there was nothing really here but three trees,” Angilello said. “This whole area was an orchard.”
Since purchasing the property in 1989, Angilello and his late husband transformed the yard into an elaborate garden retreat filled with fountains, flowers and hand-crafted touches. But several years ago, a powerful storm destroyed much of the landscape after bringing down a large honey locust tree.
The damage came during an already difficult chapter in Angilello’s life.
“Right before that time, I had lost my husband, as well,” he said. “It was kind of like when that all happened, was this a sign to move on?”
Instead, he chose to rebuild.
“I decided, ‘No, this is where I landed,’” Angilello said. “It was artwork that my husband and I had done. So now, it’s really a garden of memories for me.”
In recent weeks, neighbors Molly and Elliot Gifford have been helping Angilello prepare the property for visitors by stopping over to weed and tidy the gardens ahead of the annual walk.
“Even though weeding isn’t my first choice for something to do, it’s just calming to come back here,” Molly Gifford said.
For Elliot, the project has also become his first paid job.
“It’s nice to do my best work to get paid and have a nice-looking place back here,” he said.
Organizers say this year’s walk highlights a wide range of gardening styles throughout the Green Bay area while also giving attendees a chance to connect directly with homeowners and hear the stories behind each space.
The rain-or-shine event runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Last year, NBC 26 highlighted preparations for the annual event and the growing community interest surrounding it. Read that story here.
