There’s nothing better than a lavish garden to show that spring is almost over and summer is just around the corner.
It feels like yesterday we would have done just about anything for spring to arrive. Oh, how the times have changed.
Beautiful blooming flowers can really spruce up the yard, as well as take the focus off the fact you have yet to break out the old lawn mower this year. Really, it’s about time to cut your grass since it’s almost as tall as your dog.
In addition to the flowers and rows of what will hopefully produce delicious tasting food one day, funny looking gnomes and statues and trickling waterfalls are also a great way to bring attention to that annual patch of turned-up soil that will be the envy of the neighborhood. (Well, at least in your eyes it will be.) But if you don’t have a green thumb, or have the time or the experience, it’s still nice to admire a nice looking garden And just think, someone else is putting in all the back breaking work.
So if you love to look at flowers and at the same time explore the backyards of complete strangers, then the 5th annual Tour of Special Gardens on June 28, put on by the South Congregational Church, is just the thing for you. Purchasing a ticket will give you locations of six secret gardens that stretch from Concord to Webster, a suggested route and directions to each spot. Now these aren’t actually secret gardens like the one in that famous book. What was that title again? Anyways, they are only secret for the purpose of this story.
“We try to find an area so people aren’t driving all over the place,” said Polly Shumaker, who organized the tour.
The tour will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., rain or shine, and five of the six locations are open for the entire day, with the exception of the Webster location, which will be ready after noon.
“It’s generally flower gardens,” said Shumaker. “There are enough flowers out that people can get a sense of the garden.”
Before June 20, tickets are $18, $15 for seniors. After that date, including the day of the tour, the cost goes up to $25 and $22, respectively. The best part is that the money will then go to local Concord community organizations, particularly those that deal with the issues of hunger and homelessness, as well as helping to maintain the church’s own garden.
In choosing the six locations, the idea was to include gardens of varying sizes to give tourgoers a look at all different styles and detail.
“We try to mix up the gardens,” said Shumaker. “Sometimes they’re very large, sometimes they’re small so people can get some ideas for their own gardens. It will be a fun mixture.”
Homeowners and a hostess for each location will be there to answer questions, offer advice and provide refreshing drinks like lemonade and water. We also heard ladies of the church will be making cookies. But that’s one of the details you will need to buy a ticket to confirm.
The best part is that the route is only suggested, which means you can really go in any order; but just remember, that the Webster garden is not open until the afternoon.
“We give a suggested route, but some people don’t want to do it in the same way,” said Shumaker. “People can go anytime between the hours of 9:30 and 2:30.”
To purchase tickets, visit southchurchconcord.org and click on the Garden Tour link or visit the church office at 27 Pleasant St. between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. or on the day of the tour from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
