The Bellefonte Garden Club will offer tours of nine unique gardens from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The combination of vegetables, herbs, flowers and edibles in the landscaping promises to give your senses a treat.
Visitors can tour the gardens in any order. The price is $12 a person, with children younger than 6 admitted free.
Heres a look at the gardens in the tour:
Centre Crest: Quality of Life, 502 E. Howard St.
At Kline Way garden, this lovely courtyard, originally planned as an outdoor space where residents could visit with families, has grown into much more. Residents meet there with master gardener volunteers and enjoy vegetables and herbs in the raised beds.
Bellefonte Community Childrens Garden: Where Children Grow, 203 N. Allegheny St., behind the Centre County Library and Historical Museum
This is a beautiful, fanciful garden just for children. There is a butterfly garden, a fairy garden and an animal garden where the plants are aptly named foxtail, turtlehead and goats beard. Theres also a vegetable garden where children learn about caring for and harvesting vegetables.
Jim and Gay Dunne: A Cooks Garden, 222 N. Allegheny St.
Experience the aroma of many herbs winter savory, lavender, tarragon, marjoram and thyme. Then wander along the rock garden and flower beds to see interesting patterns in vegetable plantings. There are cardoon, tomatillos and amaranth, in addition to more common veggies.
Talleyrand Park Edible Landscape Demonstration Garden: new section of the park
This garden is in the parks new Match Factory section and is filled with edible and ornamental plants. The Talleyrand Park committee created this area using organic principles that vegetables can be beautiful as well as healthful to eat.
The Queen A Victorian Bed and Breakfast: Enchanted Enclosure
A giant garden in a small space rises up around you as you pass through the arbor. Giant blue hostas, ostrich ferns and nasturtiums appear as you follow the stepped paths and explore the layers of planting, including the raspberry patch and vegetable plot.
Dixie Witt: Bird-Lovers Paradise, 897 Seibert Road
This garden is one of layers and shapes from tall evergreens to violet smokebush, to miniature hosta and every layer in between. The bright blooms, antiques and birdhouses draw you through the property as the fountain beyond the hedge adds a soothing touch.
Cheryl and Rob Fugate: Garden Rooms Galore, 176 Armagast Road
The gardeners of this majestic plot created areas with hostas and container plantings, many of which are edible, and a water garden. The Fugates will share some tricks and gardening secrets with you, as well as their homemade wine.
Beth Russell: A Country Garden, 455 Little Marsh Creek Road
This 2-acre mainly vegetable garden produces a plethora of broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes and peppers. There are perennials as well, including bee balm, hollyhocks, ladys mantle, centaurea and lilies. And there is some unique garden art.
Beverly Harader: Cottage Creekside, 473 Little Marsh Creek Road
Themed gardens, a bubbling creek and a European-style cottage are the calling cards for this property. You can choose the rock walls, statuary, wandering ducks, or artwork as your favorite parts. The flowers blooming near the cottage, the outdoor sink, and the shady fern-filled area will please the eye and you can enjoy light refreshments donated by the Bellefonte restaurants.
Connie Cousins writes a weekly column on happenings in the Bellefonte area. Send her news at ccous67@gmail.com.




