Sunday, January 16, 2022

Memories of Moldovan's Gardens


Roy Woodhall and Steve Moldovan
Steve Moldovan, Sandy Holmes and Roy Woodhall

The first time I set foot in Moldovan's Gardens was in 1999. For the next 17 years, a summer wasn't a normal summer unless I visited Steve Moldovan and Roy Woodhall's garden at some point during peak bloom.  Most of the time I was there EVERY weekend during peak.  I didn't want to miss a thing and I wanted to learn as much as I could from Steve. Even after Steve's passing Roy was there to pass along those things which Steve had taught from his hybridizing. So with nothing further let me share some photographs that I took over the years and some that were so kindly shared by Steve and Roy's friends.
Steve Moldovan would drive guests down to the garden along this soybean field in his John Deere Gator. You can see the daylily field in the distance. (Photo by Paul K. Lewis)

Moldovan's Gardens, peak bloom 2001 (Photo by Paul K. Lewis)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2001 (Photo by Paul K. Lewis)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2001 (Photo by Paul K. Lewis)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2001 (Photo by Paul K. Lewis)

Moldovan's gardens peak bloom 2008 (Photo by Daniel Robarts)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2004-2005 (Photo by Dave Mussar)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2004-2005 (Photo by Dave Mussar)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2004-2005 (Photo by Dave Mussar)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2005 (Photo by Mike Holmes)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2008 (Photo by Paul K. Lewis)

Moldovan's Gardens peak bloom 2008 (Photo by Paul K. Lewis)

If you have ever visited Moldovan's Gardens you usually got to spend some time with Steve and Roy sitting on the front porch of the guest house.  Some of my favorite memories were sitting out there talking about the world of daylilies with Steve and Roy. Here are some pictures of friends who have visited with Steve Moldovan and Roy Woodhall over the years: 

Steve Moldovan, Mike Georges and Bryan Culver (Photo by Dave Mussar)

Moldovan's Gardens guest house 2004-2005 (Photo by Dave Mussar)

Roy Woodhall enjoying the guest house

Gerda Rosgen Brooker 2005 (Photo by Mike Holmes)

Steve Moldovan and Jim Wuersch (Photo by Rod Kroemer)

Roy Woodhall (Photo by Rod Kroemer)

Steve Moldovan and his cat, "Buzz." (Photo by Mike Holmes)

Roy Woodhall, Sandy Holmes, Steve Moldovan and Gerda Rosgen Brooker (Photo by Mike Holmes)

Steve Moldovan and Ron Valente (Photo by Bob Faulkner)
Steve Moldovan, Roy Woodhall, Roger Delongchamp, Rich Blanchard, Carl Harmon and Bill Chambers

AND NOW SOME PICTURES OF STEVE MOLDOVAN AND ROY WOODHALL IN THE GARDEN: 
Steve Moldovan working in the garden.

Roy Woodhall, Wayne Listkowski and Steve Moldovan (Photo by Mike Holmes)

Roy Woodhall lines up a dig. (Photo by Daniel Robarts)

Doug Sterling, Steve Moldovan and Curt Hanson (Photo by Tom Polston)

Roy Woodhall and Gerda Rosgen Brooker

Claire Robarts, Daniel Robarts and Bill Chambers

Carl Harmon and Steve Moldovan lining out seedlings. Roy Woodhall in the distance on the tractor. (Photo by Daniel Robarts)

Roy Woodhall on his tractor. (Photo by Daniel Robarts)

Steve Moldovan and Roy Woodhall always were willing to share their knowledge at many of the AHS conventions and Cleveland Symposiums that Curt Hanson organized each winter. Here are some pics:

Roy Woodhall, Melanie Mason and Steve Moldovan at a Cleveland Daylily Symposium.

Curt Hanson and Roy Woodhall

Steve Moldovan at a Cleveland Daylily Symposium 2-25-05

Steve Moldovan and Roy Woodhall were great friends to many people in the daylily world including myself. They were class acts.  Any time someone new was at the garden Steve would offer them something to drink and freely gave of his time.  Roy as well. I feel grateful to have spent so much time at Moldovan's Gardens and have made many friends and connections over the years. Special thanks must go to Mike and Sandy Holmes, Dan Robarts, Dave Mussar, Tom Polston, Bob Faulkner and Jim Wuersch for sharing their photographs. All photographs are the property of each person mentioned and use without prior consent is prohibited. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I still have one more interview lined up and more segments planned.  Stay tuned. 




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