At a time when some communities are gated or otherwise protected from outsiders, Woodruff Place has removed the gates and continues a 136-year-old history of neighborly living.

From the quaint, preserved architecture to the multi-tiered fountains, the near-Eastside community dominated by three boulevards is truly like a residential park.

So it’s no coincidence that residents take as much pride in their gardens as they do their homes, preserving the neighborhood’s history one plant at a time. The community can see for itself during the Woodruff Place Home&Garden Tour on June 27 and 28.

When Jim and Debbie Leich purchased their 1894 Queen Anne four years ago, they inherited a half-acre yard enclosed with lattice fencing and chicken wire. Little did they know that their home would end up on the tour this year.

“The grass was so bad that we drove our truck on the yard when we were unpacking,” said Jim, who is president of the Indiana Association of Homes&Services for the Aging. “The tree branches were so low you could reach up and touch them, and there were lots of scrub bushes that needed to be removed.”

Working with experts at Easy Living Landscape, the Leichs plotted what they call “microcosms” — various areas that have some shade, little shade, or no shade at all.

“We were attempting to create an ever-blooming cottage garden, to have something blooming all season,” said Debbie, a graphic designer for Eli Lilly and Co.

“She’s a visionary,” added her husband. “We rarely go out without buying a plant.” Debbie relies on six garden books to learn about the plants’ likes, dislikes and where they thrive best.

A pond, dating back to the origin of the home, is filled with koi and goldfish, and is a backdrop for an 1875 French outdoor shower. The couple bought the antique at a local show and attached it to a shepherd’s hook, where it collects rainwater.

Tulip poplar and Norway maple trees line the front yard, and the back yard is filled with six varieties of hydrangea and flowering bushes. Iris, wisteria and peonies join the mix, along with bee balm, pin cushion flower, sweet autumn and native woodland plant trumpet vine. There are also hostas, poppies and daisies.

“We tried to incorporate a lot of Victorian plants,” Debbie said. “If something isn’t growing well in one spot, we’re not afraid to move it.”

A few blocks away, in another Queen Anne cottage, Ron and Cynthia Lyons have a summer “to-do” list that includes moving some plants of their own.

English ivy and vinca have claimed the front of the 1923 three-bedroom home, which is also on this year’s tour.

Thinning the vines is one of the remaining projects of a revitalization that has turned the Lyons’ backyard into a virtual paradise that includes a hot tub, custom-made fountain, pergolas, and more than 130 varieties of hostas, including ‘Regal Splendor,’ ‘Wide Brim’ and ‘Victory.’ Each plant is labeled for easy reference.

A path through the back yard leads to quiet places for meditation, flowering plants made for clipping and a miniature garden designed to make visitors smile.

“I think every spot should be a destination place,” said Cynthia, who retired as a caseworker for Reps. Andy Jacobs and Julia Carson and now works part time at Soules Garden Center on the Far Southside. “This is property I deeded to my husband,” she said, pointing out a small vegetable garden that is cared for by her husband, Ron, an operations manager for Interline Brands.

The couple became only the second owners of the house when they purchased it in 1988. It’s the third property they’ve renovated in Woodruff Place — and Cynthia said it will be the last.

The estimated $200,000 land- and hard-scape project started with removal of a 135-foot-tall dead black oak tree. It took about 41/2 days to take out the 175-year-old tree.

The result was wide-open “prime real estate,” Cynthia said.

She hired Jeff Bellmer of Aspen Landscape and Design to turn a piece of granite that was recovered from a Downtown Indianapolis curb into a one-of-a kind centerpiece fountain.

Keesling Pool installed the hot tub. The rest she did on her own.

Distressed metal urns, filled with annuals, add color to the garden that is spotted with oriental poppies, false sunflowers, daisies, coneflowers and lots of hostas.

“I look at this as a secret,” Cynthia said. “From the front of the house, no one would ever suspect to see this surprise. I love to see their reaction when they come in and look around.”