If it’s spring, it must be garden tour season, a must for voyeurs and avid green thumbs alike. Where else can you view tropical poolscapes perched near school athletic fields, shady green havens tucked amid otherwise nondescript housing developments, or the latest exotic plant offerings in otherwise traditional settings. It’s the juxtapositions and the possibilities that make these tours so fascinating, and the bonus take-away is a solid list of what not to do, and what to add to your own landscape.
Find inspiration in Lancaster County through three touring opportunities.
May 22-23: The new Lancaster “Secret Gardens” Tour, was organized by a number of the county’s top landscaping companies as a way to showcase some of their premier properties. The tour is a fundraiser for the local community-built playground, Daniel’s Den, which is open to people of all abilities, but is especially for children with disabilities. In addition to the 13 properties on the tour, Daniel’s Den will also be a stop, where drinks and snacks will be provided. Esbenshades Garden Centers is donating annuals for children to plant as an activity at the playground stop. Advance tickets can be ordered online for $10 or purchased the day of the event for $15. Tickets are good for both days. Children may tour for free. Visit the website at www.lancastergardentour.com.
June 12-13: The 27th annual Demuth garden tour features the homes as well as the gardens of unique Lancaster properties. This granddaddy of Lancaster garden tours runs 10 am. To 5 p.m. both days, rain or shine. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased online at www.demuth.org, at the Demuth Museum, or by phone at 299-9940.
Ongoing: The annual open-ended Gardens of the Susquehanna Tour includes 54 area gardens, from intimate city courtyards to glorious meadows and grand formal spaces. It’s organized by the volunteers of President James Buchanan’s Wheatland Garden Club as a fundraiser for the historic estate’s landscape. A directory and ticket to the tour is $20, available from members of the club or online at www.LancasterHistory.org/gardenclub.