The Mountain Laurel Garden Club will sponsor its 19th Annual Secret Country Gardens Tour, Saturday, June 22, 2019, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., rain or shine, no pets. The tour includes four residential gardens (two in McHenry and two on the shores of Deep Creek Lake) plus activities related to an historic farm theme at Sang Run State Park. The McHenry gardens are Jeff Reitz, “Northern Sky,” and Mari Vaughn, “The Contrary Garden.” Two residences in the vicinity of Deep Creek Lake State Park are the featured lakefront gardens: Donna & Vaughn Miller, “Friends and Family Garden,” and Jay Franklin & Joy Daegele, “Groundhog B’gone.”
The Sang Run State Park location will feature farm tours, hayrides, wildflower walks, soil blocking and vegetable gardening demonstrations, hands-on seed ball making, Q&A with Master Gardeners, and a beehive exhibit. The Horticulture Committee will coordinate the club’s popular annual perennial plant sale at the Sang Run State Park pavilion. Members of the Conservation & Environmental Awareness Committee will be stationed at the new rain garden and answer questions about appropriate plants, rain gardens in general, and storm water management. There will also be several nature-inspired vendors who will be demonstrating and/or displaying basket weaving, quilting, and pottery making.
The club will sponsor additional activities at several of the gardens. A home and garden boutique will be located at the Miller garden, featuring a large variety of new and gently used items plus the raffle of a homemade quilt by member Barbara Chesley. The Floral Design Committee plans a series of floral design demonstrations at the Reitz garden. Members of the club will provide refreshments at the Vaughn garden.
The cost of a ticket for the tour is $10.00, which includes a short description of each garden. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the following locations in Garrett County: Arrowhead Market, Firefly Farms Market and Creamery, Green Acres Garden Center, Gregg’s Pharmacy, Mosser Meadow Nurseries, and from club members. Club members will also sell tickets at the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market in downtown Oakland on Saturday, June 8, Saturday, June 15, and Wednesday, June 19, plus at each of the gardens on the day of the tour.
Proceeds from the garden tour will be used by the Mountain Laurel Garden Club for the continued beautification of our communities and to encourage gardening and sound conservation practices through club activities and programs. For tickets and more information, please contact Betsy Potts at bhpotts04@hotmail.com or 301-387-6706.
The Mountain Laurel Garden Club offers an annual $1000 scholarship through the Garrett College Foundation and partners with local organizations in support of youth environmental education and civic beautification. The club is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.; the Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs, Inc.; and the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, Inc. Affiliated clubs provide education, resources, and national networking opportunities as well as promote gardening, floral design, and civic and environmental responsibility.