The 10th annual Garden Walk will feature six lovely gardens with blooms galore, July 15.
‘This is the year not to miss,? says Beth Kerr, chair of the event sponsored by the Clarkston Farm and Garden Club.
Returning is an Artisan Market on the library grounds and restaurant specials for Garden Walk attendees at several area restaurants.
‘These are some of the nicest gardens we’ve ever had,? Kerr says. ‘There is a good mix of styles, with a touch of whimsy and splash. These gardens are designed and worked by the homeowners and their families. Some of them have been working all year to get ready for this.?
Denise Toth Reinelt and her husband, Bob, will be showing the Springfield Township yard where they have been working for 15 years.
Their yard is packed with plants and accessories that make birds, butterflies and bugs feel right at home. The native and nearly-native plants that Denise favors serve up nectar, seeds and shelter to critters of all shapes and sizes.
The abundance of natives isn’t the only highlight on this year’s walk. Masses of color preside, including blooms one homeowner digs and replants each year to get just the look she desires. Another site, a return feature on the Garden Walk, takes the visitor on a tour of old Nantucket. A can’t miss treat is the collection of re-purposed decorative items one gardener has integrated in the plantings. Each garden has its own unique emphasis, Kerr said.
Homeowners and a list of plantings will be available at all the gardens the day of the walk. Garden Club members, many of them master gardeners and all of them experienced gardeners, will be available at each site.
‘There is a lot of heart in the gardens this year,? Kerr said. ‘But the importance is what the club is able to do with the money this fund-raiser provides.?
Along with the downtown planters and the library grounds, the club provides college scholarships, four last week, and plant- and environment-based program funding to students and teachers.
The walk is 12-8 p.m., Wednesday, July 15, with the Artisan Market at the library open at 11 a.m. Advance tickets $15 before the walk at Clarkston Country Store, Clarkston Chamber of Commerce, Bordine’s, Birdfeeder and Clarkston Independence District Library. On the day of the walk, tickets are $18 at the booth on the library grounds.
Information available at www.clarkstongardenclub.org.