Mill Creek turned into a garden of delights

By Maryanne Davis Silve For the Three Rivers Edition - 08/03/2005

Les Jackson and his wife, Betty, bought their land at Sheridan in 1972. Both taught school in Sheridan for many years. Betty taught home-economics and biology and Les taught seventh grade. On their days off they created a beautiful landscape at their garden space along Mill Creek. Maryann Davis Silve Photo

SHERIDAN — Two fertile acres nestled between Mill Street and Mill Creek have provided flowers for Sheridan weddings and funerals and brought smiles to the nursing home and hospital residents for three decades.

Les Jackson and his wife Betty bought their acreage in 1972. Both taught school in Sheridan for many years. Betty taught Home-Ec and Biology and Les taught 7th grade. On their days off they created a beautiful landscape at their garden space along Mill Creek. Hard work and lots of love and companionship went hand in hand making a home for the thousands of plants that grace the property.

Jackson describes how the garden got started. "Betty and I used to go to Flathead Lake every year. We'd go out onto the lake with her brother. On one of those trips we met an older gentleman near Big Fork that had a big garden. He really had a beautiful place and he got us going. When we started working on the Mill Creek acreage there were just a lot of mustard plants and cactus, not even a tree. We began with a little garden and it kept getting bigger. Betty loved the flowers. She was the brains behind the garden. She ordered all the plants and did the planning. We just kept adding a little bit here and there." After retirement in 1983 the couple split their summers between working on Betty's parent's farm near Great Falls and grooming the garden near Sheridan.

He and Betty worked side by side close to the land until she passed away in May of 2002. "This is my fourth summer to work on the garden all alone," he said with sadness in his voice. "I just can't keep up with it all." Les has a couple of volunteers from Alder who help him with the weeding. "They are Mr. and Mrs. Frank McKeever from North Carolina. They spend their summers in Alder. McKeevers have been here five times. They work very hard and know what they are doing. They've really helped me." Everywhere people walk on the property a burst of brilliant blossoms will greet them. Dahlias, roses, lupine, peonies, sweet williams, poppies, blue delphiniums, sweet peas, marigolds and many more have found their niche. A delicate pink foxtail lily towers above the other plants. Jackson says it's only about 7 feet tall this year. Last year it reached 10 feet tall.

"There are so many plants I just lost track. I have no idea how many there might be. I have about 4,000 dahlias. I divide them up every year and I keep trying to give them away." Faye Kneeland from Sheridan has enjoyed visiting Jackson's garden. "It's just like a fairy land with little paths winding around through the gorgeous flowers," she said.

Jackson also has 300 varieties of hen and chicks that he treats like a real brood of baby chicks. Many of See GARDEN, Page 2 Garden...

Continued from Page 1 them sit in little pots outside the greenhouse, like orphans waiting for some visitor to come and take them home. "I never sell plants. I just give them away," Jackson said, "In the winter I put the hen and chicks in the greenhouse. They do better inside." A walk down the many paths that lead through the two acres will give one a dazzling view of plate-sized bright orange poppies with black centers. White daisies surround a large lily pond that holds 60 goldfish up to nine and ten inches in size.

"Betty and I bought the gold fish in a pet store in Great Falls, Jackson said, "They were just tiny then. I put a greenhouse canopy over them in the winter and it stays pretty warm. If it gets real cold I have to put a tank heater in there, but most of the time they do fine with the sun shining through the greenhouse material." Another friend from Sheridan, Bud Eler became interested in the gold fish pond and built Les a little building that housed a motor to run a water wheel for the pond. "We never quite got it set up before Bud died," Jackson said. "I still hope to get it running one of these days." The gold fish had some interesting companions at one time. "I had some Koi. They are Japanese tropical fish that weighed about five pounds. They would stay on the bottom of the pond and go dormant in the winter. One day they just disappeared, so I figured a raccoon must have gotten them. The gold fish were probably able to get away because they keep moving around.

Other people over the years have taken the time to invest in Jackson's garden. "Dr. Traggit was an Episcopalian Minister in Sheridan," Jackson recalled. "He was a flower gardener. When he got too old for gardening, he gave us about a hundred peonies." Unlike many gardeners, the Jackson's' have never sold anything. "If people want to come and get them, they can have flowers for weddings or funerals or whatever they want. I take flowers to the hospital and nursing home when I have time." On the wall in the garage where Jackson stores his equipment hangs a hand drawn picture which was a thank you gift to Les for sharing his flowers with the nursing home. The picture was done by Woody O'Dell, an artist at Tobacco Root Care Center. Though Woody has passed away, the picture is a treasure to Les. In the picture a handsome warrior stands brave and strong up against a huge monster. The spear of the warrior is aimed at the monster's heart. Handwritten words under the picture read: "This illustration shows the slaying of the black hearted monster by Les, just protecting his flowers." Other friends help from time to time. "Jerry Braach from Twin Bridges brought me a load of manure," Jackson smiles.

Watering such an area with plants popping up everywhere could be quite a challenge. Jackson had help from a gentleman who lived in the area many years, Mr. Don Hawley. "Hawley helped me plan it all out. Don was smart. He could do anything." Jackson has thought about the future and what will happen to the garden when he is gone. "I'll keep working it as long as I can. When I can't do it anymore, I'll just turn it over to the city," he said.

Jackson invites people to visit him, but you will have to slow down to spot the garden. It is separated from the highway by a tall stand of healthy trees that provide privacy and quiet. Jackson usually comes out to the garden every day. "I stay three or four hours, sometimes more," he said, "It's best in the morning when it's cooler. If I get too tired, I just take the day off," he grinned. "My boss is pretty easy on me." Last Saturday Jackson did take the day off on July 30 as he was the parade marshal for the Sheridan School class reunion.

"It was quite an honor," he said. "I enjoyed that day very much." Jackson says he can always use volunteers who like to weed and if anyone has flower pots to get rid of, they can bring them to his garden.