Public invited to visit impressive, unique gardens during tour
Much more than flowers will be on display Saturday, July 8 during the Southern Butler County Garden Club’s 15th annual Garden Tour, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tickets are available for a tour that includes six gardens in southwestern Butler County, chosen by the garden club for their unique features.
Those who attend will get a wristband and a guide booklet when they register for the tour. Registration takes place from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center on Rochester Road.
Hostesses from the club will tell participants which stop they should go to first. They will then use their booklet to locate the other five stops on the garden tour.
Jill Barger, club president, said 150 to 160 people attend the garden tour each year.
She is excited about one particular stop on this year’s tour.
“The one that is very special is Passavant House in Zelienople,” Barger said. “They have raised beds with vegetables that they would have grown in Mrs. Passavant’s time.”
She said the garden there contains roses, perennials, native plants and herbs, in addition to the vegetables.
“It’s just a beautiful lawn and gazebo too,” Barger said.
Club members will sell custom steppingstones and homemade birdbaths at Passavant House, and will answer gardening queries from those on the tour.
The home of Barger and her husband, Tim McBaugh, is on the tour as well.
There, people can view the custom gazebo, complete with swing, ornamental bridge and hot tub built into the deck, all of which were built by Barger’s brother, who is a carpenter.
Also on display at Barger’s home will be a fountain in the backyard that contains fish, as well as another fountain in the front yard.
“My garden is mostly perennials, featuring many small, ornamental trees,” Barger said. “I have three circular beds and a long perennial border down the driveway that should be blooming for the tour. Fingers crossed.”
The yard of her friend and fellow club member, Kristi Gregory, is one those planning to attend should look forward to, she said.
“She has trellises everywhere and they’re her own creations for the most part,” Barger said. “Just her ideas on using a trellis in a different way is so interesting.”
Barger said the garden tour has remained a popular event for 15 years for one main reason.
“I think people just like seeing other people’s ideas,” she said. “It lets you in some private spaces and lets you see people’s backyards that aren’t normally open to the public.”
For example, those on the tour will be able to view the vegetable, fruit and herb plants growing in pots on Barger’s deck.
“It will demonstrate that you don’t have to grow everything in the ground,” she said.
Barger said she will continue gardening as long as she is able to pick up a spade.
“It’s my Zen mode,” she said. “I find it very relaxing and it clears my mind by putting me in touch with nature.”
Alicia Garrison, also a member of the Southern Butler County Garden Club, said those on the tour always enjoy the variety of features at the stops.
“We try and highlight all different types of gardens, because everyone’s garden is a little different,” she said. “They can be big, small, have water features, shade gardens or plantings in the sun.”
Another benefit of the tour to those who attend is simply driving from stop to stop.
“You get to see not just the gardens, but also the different areas of the community,” Garrison said.
Many times, groups of friends or members of garden clubs in the region get together for the tour.
“It’s from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., so there is time for you to stop and have a quick lunch somewhere and support a local business,” Garrison said. “It’s really a lovely way to spend a day.”
All proceeds from the tour support area gardens, like those at Mars Area Public Library, Graham Park and the Victims Outreach Intervention Center residence.
The garden club also donates to the Audubon Society and other community organizations that support environmental causes.
Garrison encourages all gardeners or those considering the hobby to attend the 15th annual Garden Tour.
“It’s very therapeutic,” Garrison said of gardening. “We were meant to be in a garden, from the time of creation.
“It’s spiritual. It’s medicinal.”
Tickets for the tour are $25 per person.
Raffle baskets and a door prize will be available at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township.
Those who attend must register between 9 and 10 a.m. at the municipal center, where they will receive a booklet with descriptions of each garden plus driving directions.
