Monday, May 22, 2017

Pine Grove Garden Tour Announced

South Schuylkill Garden Club announces a garden tour of the Pine Grove Area.

This will be a first of hopefully many tours to come as the Garden Club explores the many beautiful gardens in the southern region of Schuylkill County.

The tour is slated for June 24 rain or shine. The tour consists of eight private and two public gardens in and around the Pine Grove Area. The tour will be operational within the hours of 9AM to 2PM. Tickets for the tour may be purchased at one of the two tour starting places. First up for tickets is at the Butterfly Garden at the Union Canal in Pine Grove Proper. The second available place to start your tour providing tickets is east of Pine Grove at 167 Dad Burnham Road Pine Grove. This is the Gardens of Kenneth and Ardela Newswanger. Advanced tickets may be purchased at the Pine Grove Theater or by contacting Carol at 570.345.2423, Jeanne at 570.385.4423 or Helen at 570.739.3689.

One of the featured gardens on the tour will be the gardens at Blue Bottle Farm. Blue Bottle Farm is nestled in the valley of Flat Hill outskirts of Pine Grove, the Gardens at Blue Bottle Farm consist of informal mixed borders of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. The plantings follow no strict order; instead they are constantly evolving as all gardens are. The plants have all been lovingly collected by the gardeners and placed to take advantage of the view sheds, which include the former dairy barn and silos to the East, a three-acre pond and forest to the south, and the mountains to the west. Cobalt blue bottles accent many of the beds as an art form, and provide color even on the bleakest winter day. In addition a forest path winds along the pond and through the forest where it crosses streams, and wanders through soft sweeps of hay scented ferns.

A seasonal waterfall can be viewed just before the path emerges from the forest. Before returning to the gardens, the path offers elevated views of the fields, farm buildings, and gardens. The gardens are landscaped by Alan Petravich and Koa Kanamee with Nancy Petravich as the chief grounds keeper.

Come and enjoy this garden and many others of the Pine Grove Area on June 24 between the hours of 9 AM and 2 PM.

Further information about the Garden Tour put on by the South Schuylkill Garden Club is available by calling Carol at 570.345.2423 or Jeanne at 570.385.4423.

Photo:  Taking a relaxing moment in their garden at Blue Bottle Farms are horticulturist Koa Kanamee and Alan Petravich with their dog Hoa.   Blue Bottle Farms is one of the ten featured gardens on the Pine Grove Garden Tour organized by the South Schuylkill Garden Club.