Garden Tours Offering Artistic Inspiration and Ways to Support Wildlife – Artsphoria: Special Events Advertising & Reporting

By Andrea K. Hammer

As one of the highlights of our gardening season, the 27th Summer Garden Tour of The Little Gardens Club of Atlantic City delivered delightful surprises like the one last year.

This year’s special event, with a different personality, was concentrated in Linwood and Egg Harbor rather than spread across several South Jersey towns. Here are some of the take-aways from both garden tours:

Garden tour hosts have a generous spirit: Besides welcoming strangers into their carefully tended gardens, they show kindness and generosity in other ways. During both events, the garden hosts readily answered questions, sharing and spreading their knowledge like the thriving plants in their gardens.

Small touches deliver big results: Clear crystals dangling from tree branches created a shimmering effect as they reflected the light. A narrow piece of lattice behind a mailbox was a smart and decorative way to support climbers. Birdhouses in different sizes and shapes as well as tree branches forming natural-looking pergolas were integrated seamlessly into the landscapes.

Big surprises emerge at the end of long paths: During both garden tours, long walks down tree-lined trails led to two different breathtaking locations. Last year, the backyard overlooked an expansive meadow with egrets. This year, an eclectic collection of antiques–from a 1928 Chevy Sports Cabriolet Coupe to an old ice cream sign and whimsical statues–added massive spirit to countless garden rooms.

Gardens are perfect settings for framing art: From artists at easels to paintings displayed along a tree-lined trail, the gardens offered ideal locations to inspire and spotlight art. Other artistic accents, including blue ceramic pots and stepping stones with mosaics, gave each garden individual personality and style.

Natural gardens support wildlife: Without a tightly manicured look, many of the gardens on the tour had ponds with koi and turtles. Other larger water features attracted a variety of birds and created a sense of tranquility in natural-looking outdoor spaces.

As a welcome reminder that gardens are an important way to support our eco-system, the garden tours also offered outstanding examples of expressing individual artistry in nature. Many thanks to the kind and generous garden hosts who welcomed visitors and shared their knowledge graciously.

Andrea K. Hammer, who has published articles in international publications, specializes in writing about horticulture, the arts and creative businesses.