In celebration of Cheryl Rieker 1955-2023

This website and journey was intended to share and be an extension of the journey my wife Cheryl and I have been on for the last 34 years.......However, her diagnosis of stage 4 cancer in December of 2020 has changed this journey ......

Cheryl was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in December of 2020, so after over 32 years in the garden construction business, designing, building and maintaining large residential and estate gardens, we had decided to simply act as project consultants which allowed us to follow our passions of travel, riding destination bike trails throughout Wisconsin and Michigan. Cheryl was a very strong woman especially throughout her two year journey with cancer and during that two years, we discovered even better times than we could have imagined which brought us even closer together.......Cheryl passed away peacefully at home in January of this year....

As you would expect, this is has been both a very big loss in my life and at the same time has developed within me an even stronger driving force to truly embrace today and celebrate the ability to go outside, work in our persoal gardens and get on a bike or go sailing and enjoy everything Mother Nature has to offer on this big blue marble circling the sun......

Through the blog on this site, I will also share my first hand thoughts about facing cancer.

Over The Hedgerow™  was the name of our original newsletter over 30 years ago, which we shared with our clients when the newsletter still had to be typeset and mailed.  Sharing information with your neighbor  "over the hedgerow" was the original form of social media and that is what I intend to continue doing with this electronic version of Over the Hedgerow™ and our School of Gardening.

I invite you to come along with me as I blend my knowledge of technology and 30 plus years of hands on experience in designing, building and maintaining gardens.

Remember to Lead with Love and Kindness.......