Old Louisville Victorian home features eclectic garden, mix of native, perennial plants

Tucked behind Johanna Bos' Old Louisville home is a lush landscape she describes as her "little paradise." Originally from Holland, Bos comes from a family of gardeners.

"My dad was a gardener (and) my cousin's a gardener," she said, "Dutch people are the gardeners."

Bos moved to the neighborhood from Seneca Gardens in 2005, keeping pieces from the previous owners — such as the patio and fountain — while transforming the rest of the outdoor space.

Bos selects all the plants herself, frequenting local nurseries such as the Earl Thieneman Garden Center on Old Henry Road.

"I have totally changed the landscaping," she said, adding that over the years, she has introduced perennials, herbs, native plants, and seasonal annuals. "Everything grows; everything blooms — but it's work."

This year, she's showcasing her hard work for all to see during the 31st annual Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour on June 21 and 22.

Planted with purpose

Johanna Bos’s stands next to a door that has the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the alef, and part of the prayer of Reform Judaism: “I have no light to give the morning my Torah, my special human gift, is words” in the garden at her home in Old Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on June, 2, 2025. The door was painted by her friend Aaron Guldenschuh-Gatten. Her garden will be featured in the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour.

Bos' garden features a diverse array of plants, including native Annabelle hydrangeas, Siberian bugleweed, and lungwort. The mix of ever-changing native and introduced plants keeps the garden enjoyable year after year.

One of her favorites is Lenten roses, which she calls "grateful plants" for their reliability. Bos favors plants that can handle both sun and shade — such as hellebores, Solomon's seal, and hostas.

"They always bloom," she said of the many hostas throughout. "And they're great for filling in."

Annuals, like impatiens and coleus, bring color to shaded areas, while black and blue salvia draws in pollinators.

"Salvia is really a sage," Bos explained, "(and) they attract bees."

Bos is also fond of herbs like lavender, lemon balm, parsley, oregano, and basil, which she uses to make pesto.

A variety of plants and flowers are on display in Johanna Bos’s garden at her home in Old Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on June, 2, 2025. Her garden will be featured in the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour.

Every area of the garden features something interesting in bloom, including a selection of plants in an old metal wheelbarrow that Bos has repurposed as a planter.

"It's been with me for maybe 25 to 30 years," she said, adding that she fortified the bottom to ensure it serves her for many more years to come.

Bos decides which plants she'll place in the wheelbarrow or one of the many large pots surrounding the space. With the help of other gardeners, the heavy clay pieces are stored in the garage during the winter, emerging each spring to help grow something new.

Memory and meaning

A wheel barrel has been repurposed to display a variety of flowers and plants in Johanna Bos’s garden at her home in Old Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on June, 2, 2025. Her garden will be featured in the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour.

Bos' garden is more than just a collection of pretty plants; it's also a place that showcases family ties and pieces of the past. A Japanese cherry, she says, was just a small sapling when she first moved in. It now stands at full height, towering over the front yard and serving as a testament to the garden's remarkable progress.

"It blooms gorgeously," she exclaimed. "It's just lovely."

Garden accents sprinkled throughout carry sentimental value. A multicolored stepping stone that bears her granddaughter's handprint adorns one side of the space, while a prominently displayed sign that reads "Never Enough Thyme" hangs in honor of her late husband.

A stone that has the Dutch word "Oma" meaning grandma is on display in Johanna Bos’s garden at her home in Old Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on June, 2, 2025. Her garden will be featured in the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour.

"My husband loved thyme," Bos explained, adding that she purchased a similar sign for him as a surprise many years ago. "It was completely weathered, (so) my son and his wife remade that (for me)."

Bos honors her European heritage in the front yard's design, which boasts a symmetrical layout with a small slice of grass.

"This is very much a kind of Dutch pattern," she said. "You would have a square like that, and then in the middle some grass — but not too much grass."

She adds that all the greenery in the gardens, from the flowers to the grass, is grown chemical-free.

Cityside sanctuary

Bos spent more than 30 years teaching at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where she was the only woman on staff when she began. She had students helping her build the garden many years ago; today, a team of gardeners helps maintain the space.

"My gardener says I'm the maestro — and they are the orchestra," she said with a chuckle.

Despite referring to her outdoor area as a small city garden, she emphasizes that the relatively tiny area boasts a wide variety of plant life — and every piece of space will be a part of the garden for as long as she can manage. Even the shade cast by a towering maple in the backyard is considered a welcome challenge.

Hydrangeas are on display in Johanna Bos’s garden at her home in Old Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on June, 2, 2025. Her garden will be featured in the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour.

"I'm not ever going to take that tree out," she said. "That tree is a family friend."

From early spring blooms to vibrant summer hues, the garden is almost always alive with color and life.

"I think the variety of plants you can put in a fairly small lot and how much you can do with a city garden," she said, "is what I hope people take away."

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].

nuts & bolts

Owner: Johanna W.H. Bos, who is a professor.

Home: This is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,225-sqare-foot, Victorian home in Old Louisville. It was built in 1894.

Distinctive elements: Unique garden featuring a vibrant mix of vibrant mix of perennials, herbs, and native plants.

Applause! Applause! Lally Construction; Richard Spalding, the Garden Artisan; J. Martin Bos.

Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour

WHAT: The Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour welcomes garden lovers into the private green spaces of the nation’s largest Victorian residential neighborhood.

WHEN: June 21-22. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

TICKETS: Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $25; tickets purchased in advance at oldlouisvillegardentour.org before 5 p.m. on June 19 are $20. Tickets for seniors aged 65 and older are $20. Admission for children ages 10 and younger is free.

PARKING: Street parking is available.