Marietta is a community full of creative gardens, and several of them will be on display when the Marietta Garden Tour is held on Sunday, June 5. The self-guided tour will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature eight stops. Proceeds will benefit the preservation of the Marietta Community House.
Highlights of the tour will include a newly placed rock garden on a property whose history can be traced back as far as the 1760s. Other gardens will feature fountains, raised vegetable beds, heirloom plants, fruit trees and colorful perennials. "One garden on the tour has more than 150 varieties of daylilies," noted Lauralee Baker, one of the tour coordinators. Along with private homes, the tour will feature the gardens of a local business and a prayer garden at a Marietta church. The First National Bank and Mulberry Thrill will be open at 100 W. Market St. for tours and refreshments during the garden tour.
Educational seminars will be held on the porch of the Marietta Community House, 264 W. Market St., and admission is included for tour ticket holders. At noon and 2 p.m., Rosemarie Curcio will present "Bats in the Garden." At 1 and 3 p.m., Carrie Lyn Strong will present "Garden Recipes." A pulled pork barbecue meal will be served from 11 a.m. until sold out in the Marietta Community House during the tour for an additional charge.
Karen Sullivan, one of the tour coordinators, said the tour has been held in Marietta for more than 10 years, after a group of garden enthusiasts revived a tradition started years earlier. "We wanted to have a garden tour again because there are so many nice gardens in Marietta," she stated. Sullivan noted that she and Baker often discover places to highlight during walks through town in the summer. "We go up and down alleys and we're always looking," she said with a laugh. "If something looks like a good option for the tour, we'll knock on the door and ask if the people want to participate. People are really interested in the Marietta Community House and want to see it thrive." The Marietta Community House is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and supporting Marietta through community events.
Along with the greenery on display, the tour will give participants a chance to take in some of the unique architecture in town, Baker said, adding, "There's a nice historical aspect to the tour. Marietta has so many older homes and even if you're not really into gardening, it will be fun to see these homes up close from the outside."
Marietta Garden Tour tickets are available for a discount in advance at Floral Designs of Mount Joy, 1599 W. Main St., Mount Joy; Bron's Deli, 34 W. Market St., Marietta; River Road Produce, 1835 River Road, Marietta; and Murphy's Mercantile and Co., 261 Locust St., Columbia. Full-price tickets will be available at the Marietta Community House on the day of the event.
For more information, visit https://mariettacommunityhouse.org.
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