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Ferme de la Rose, a unique venue for intimate gatherings

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The parterre garden will be enchanting when completed and in full bloom by next spring-summer and will be the centerpiece of Ferme de la Rose. (Photos by Ted Pennekamp)

This is just one small section of the many walking paths that guests will be able to enjoy.

Teek and Folko relax by the fountain.

The barn is still under renovation. Here are two of the chandeliers.

The walking paths will wind through several gardens. This area even has a banana plant which is viable down to 30 below zero.

A covered rest area offers shade for guests. There will be stone picnic tables nearby.

Folko and Teek stroll along a wooded path. The wooded paths offer shade and give a tunnel-like effect. They will be especially nice in the summer.

The barn will be available in case of rain. The barn will have bathrooms, a catering area, a loft, a bar, a deck, and a disc jockey music area.

By Ted Pennekamp

 

For anyone who is getting married, or for those wishing to host family reunions or other such celebrations, a Monona, Iowa couple is developing their eight-acre property into a unique venue which will be ready next summer.

In fact, Ferme de la Rose or “Farm of the Rose” has already been offering tours and booking weddings and other events at 21765 Pleasant Ridge Road.

Teek and Folko Landvogt hosted their niece’s wedding in September of 2019 and so many people enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere, that the decision was made to create a wedding venue unlike any in the area.

“We fixed up the barn for my niece’s wedding and now we’ve just kept going,” said Teek. “We’ve got two weddings booked already.”

Folko traveled to France to tour some elegant and historic castles which also showcase spectacular parterre gardens. He explained that parterre gardens began in Italy but are now mostly associated with France.

Folko said the parterre garden and grounds of Farm of the Rose will offer a venue not found throughout most of the United States, except for some locations near the east coast.

The symmetrical parterre garden at Farm of the Rose is centered by a large ornate fountain. Guests can also enjoy the shade provided by the Greek pavilion with its marble inlaid floor.

There will be numerous flowered walking paths in the garden and throughout the grounds to accommodate leisurely strolling in the sunlight as well as in the shaded areas.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a cottage garden, a rock garden, a rose garden, a spring garden, and next year a wild garden.

There are various small fountains and statues of lions and an elephant as well as numerous other ornaments. Some unique plants will add to the view, most notably a banana tree, which Folko says is viable down to 30 below zero. The brightly colored flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Farm of the Rose will take up about five acres at first, but Teek and Folko said it will continue to evolve and grow over the next few years with more walking paths, waterfalls and other features planned.

The paths also include wooded walkways in which guests can enjoy strolling under the shade of tree-lined canopies. Benches and stone picnic tables will be available at various locations.

Teek noted that there will be tables and a bar in the shade by one of the gardens. There will also be a fire pit on the grounds.

If it should rain, a roomy barn on the property can accommodate the wedding party quite nicely. The barn will have bathrooms, a catering area, a loft, a bar, and a disc jockey music area. The barn, built in 1901, also features chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling and a nice deck.

“It’s a century barn with a unique blend of glamour and rustic charm,” said Teek.

Near the barn and the parking area will be a bride’s cottage and a groom’s cottage where the bride and the bridesmaids, and the groom and the groomsmen can change their attire if they so choose.

“We’re looking forward to completion and hosting signature weddings and other stylish events,” said Teek. “It’s a labor of love.”

Those seeking more information about Farm of the Rose can view their website at www.fermedelarose.com or their Facebook page. In addition, those wishing a tour of the developing venue can contact Manager Anne Lerch at (608) 412-0067, or at events@fermedelarose.com. Office hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Venue tours are by appointment.

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