Gardeners open their gates

Belfast Garden Club offers Open Garden Days

If you visit Britain during the summer months, you’ll find yellow signs directing you to private gardens that have been opened to the public. The gardens are varied, the gardeners are usually present and the informal open garden days are quite popular.

by Kelly Michaud, Editor

Flowers, like peonies, can be seen in the gardens during the early months of the season. PHOTOS COURTESY CHRISTINE URICK

     Christine Urick of Belfast, who is originally from England, and is a member of the Belfast Garden Club, has worked with the club’s members to bring the concept to this area.

     “I’ve known about it in England and was there during the summer of 2004 and went to some of the gardens and I enjoyed it so much,” Urick said. “And I thought ‘why not? Why can’t we do it here?’”

     This spring and summer from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 18 through Aug. 31, there will be 22 open garden days in the Belfast area.

     Last year, Urick asked the garden club members to pay attention to their gardens and take notice of when they were at their peak.

     Garden club member Martha Block said the goal is to let other gardeners see working gardens through various times of the season.

     “By having open gardens on random days, starting early in the season, it gives an opportunity for people to see the variety of and the extended growth, rather than gardens being at their peak when they are viewed because peaks vary all the time,” Block said.

     The gardens are slated to be open rain or shine and yellow arrows and signs will direct the public to the gardens.

Poppies, which bloom in early June, brighten Chris Urick’s garden. She will open her garden at 44 Robbins Road in East Belfast Saturday, July 1.

     “People can open their gardens when they think they are at their best so there isn’t (one) assigned date,” said Harmony Joseph, a garden club member who is participating in open garden days.

     The gardens range from well-established gardens to new gardens; city to country and also include waterfront, whimsical and formal gardens.

     “They are all completely different,” Urick said.

     The plan is for the open garden days to be informal so visitors can either make the garden a destination for an afternoon road trip or just see a yellow sign while they are out and pop in.

     Most of the time, the gardeners will be on site to talk about their labors of love and answer questions. Visitors can get design ideas, planting ideas, as well as general information on how to plant and on sustainability.

     “There are so many avid gardeners in this area and we like to learn from one another,” Block said.

     But you don’t have to be a gardener to attend or appreciate the gardens.

     “You can come as a non-gardener and enjoy the beauty or come as a beginning gardener and ask questions and get information or come as a gardener -- there is always something new to learn and you can appreciate the work of others,” Urick said.

     Joseph said she is looking at the open garden days as a way to learn, and to strengthen the local garden community.

     “Hopefully gardeners will come and we can interact with each other,” Joseph said. “I can meet other gardeners and we can talk about what works and doesn’t work and I can share something I learned.”

Judith Garnett’s garden can be found at 21 Bayview St. in Belfast. It will be open Wednesday, Aug. 16. She has a private patio garden that features roses, day lilies and clematis in front of a trellis.

     Anyone who visits a garden will be asked to donate $3 to the club. The money raised will be used for scholarships and to benefit Belfast civic beautification. Their projects include gardens at the post office square, city hall, library, and more.

     Urick said she hopes the project will help create a gardening buzz around Belfast and it will grow and other garden clubs will start their own garden days. Eventually, she’d like the open garden days to be statewide, she said.

     Up first is Joseph’s garden at 71 Congress St., in Belfast. Joseph will open her garden on May 18 and 26. Last autumn, she planted 600 more bulbs in her garden.

     “It’s a small garden so hopefully it will make a big splash,” she said.

     Urick’s garden also is on the tour and will be open July 1. She said she spends 15 to 20 hours a week tending to it. Gardening is something she learned from her parents and her grandparents.

     “I love it,” she said. “I grew up gardening. It’s my favorite thing to do in the world.”

     The garden club will have yellow fliers available at local nurseries and chambers of commerce that will provide directions and more information. For the gardens that will be included this year and for directions, see below. Also if someone is interested in having their garden a part of open garden days in 2007, contact Urick at chrisurick@ gmail.com or talk to a Belfast Garden Club member.

Asiatic lilies are among the types of perennials that will be blooming in gardens that are part of the open garden days.

Gardens to visit

     MAY

     18, Joseph Garden: Harmony Joseph’s garden, located at 71 Congress St., in Belfast, is a collector’s garden with a spring collection of pulmonarias, Virginia bluebells and a large collection of flowering bulbs. Directions: From the intersection of Routes 1 and 3, go toward town. Turn right onto Congress Street and continue to the corner of Pearl and Congress. It is a brick house. Parking is on the street.

     23, Block Garden: Martha Block’s garden is located at 16 Church St., in Belfast. It is a city garden created for private spaces and a bird habitat with a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials and roses. A greenhouse is tucked in for work and a patio for rest. Directions: Near the Church Street and Northport Avenue intersection. Park on the street and walk through the left side yard to the back.

     26, Joseph Garden: See May 18.

     27, Fleming Garden: Suellyn Fleming’s garden, at 38 Broadway in the village of Bayside, features perennial borders using old fashioned perennials. Directions: Route 1 South, turn at Dos Amigos in Northport, take a left on Broadway. It is on the left. Park in the driveway or along the road.

JUNE

     11, Whitlock Garden: Joan Whitlock’s garden, located at 110 Union St., Belfast, is an informal British-style garden. It features shrubberies, rock and perennial beds with spaces for walking and sitting. This garden was developed for easy care. Directions: From downtown Belfast take High Street south then turn left on Allyn Street at the blinking yellow light. Turn right onto Union Street. The house is the second on on the left. Park along the road.

     15, Sears Garden: Vicky Sears’ garden can be found off Airmail Lane in East Belfast. Sears’ house faces Belfast Bay and has a large lawn on the south side and Japanese-style gardens on the north side near the house. A rock garden, rhododendrons, Rugosa roses, hostas and terracing are all part of the garden. Directions: Take Route 1 north to East Belfast. Look for the tall mailboxes on the right (Airmail Lane). Turn right and continue bearing right to the end. The house is gray with white trim. Park in the oval driveway.

     16, Block Garden: See May 23.

     21, Heinz Garden: You can find Pat Heinz’s garden at 212 High St., in Belfast. Her property features roses, rhododendrons and a Japanese-style garden with a pond. Directions: Admiral Pratt House (large, pillared house on left before Primrose Street). Do not park on High Street. Alternative parking is available on Waldo Avenue; enter through the rear of the garden on Primrose Street.

     26, 27, Shure Garden: Sally Shure’s garden, located at 105 Woodman’s Mill Road in Searsmont, is an old-fashioned perennial garden planted along a 1830s house, driveway, barn and hillside. There is a cutting garden and an asparagus patch in the lower field. Directions: From Route 3 take 131S and follow the signs to Searsmont. Go through the village to 173 west, which is Woodman’s Mill Road. Go 6/10 mile. It is a white cape on the right side of the road. Park on the road.

     28, Banwell Garden: Bland Banwell’s garden can be found at 133 Miller St., Belfast. An expansive perennial garden surrounds the house and a cutting garden is in the back. Directions: From High Street take Miller Street, cross Congress Street. The house is on the right. Look for the trellis fence. Park along the road.

Hollyhocks spring up from Barbara Plummer’s garden at 670 Shore Road in the village of Bayside. Her garden will be open Wednesday, Aug. 9.

JULY

     1, Urick Garden: Chris Urick’s garden is located at 44 Robbins Road in East Belfast and is a relatively young garden at four years, however it looks mature. The garden is set up in an English cottage style with beds that are packed with a large assortment of perennials. Vegetables, strawberries and cutting flowers are in raised beds. Directions: Take Route 1 north and turn left onto Route 141 (immediately after the bridge) and take the first left onto Robbins Roads. It is on the left side after Delmos Street. Park along the road.

     2, Whitlock Garden: See June 11.

     16, Curran Garden: Lois Curran’s garden, at 26 Condon St., in Belfast, is a small, private whimsical garden. Directions: From the traffic lights in the center of Belfast, go south on High Street for about a mile. Turn left onto Condon Street and follow it two blocks to the corner of Bayview and Condon. Park along the road.

     21, Tripp Garden: Dale Tripp’s garden, which is located at 50 Northport Ave., in Belfast, is a small, in-town garden in its second year. It is an herb garden designed to complement the 1832 house. Directions: From downtown Belfast take High Street south and continue to Northport Avenue. It is on the left and is a small, brick house with a tall fence and hedge. Park along the road.

     25, Whittle Garden: Carol Whittle’s garden at 26 Ocean St., Belfast, is a compact garden on the water’s edge with beautiful ocean views. Directions: From the traffic lights in the center of Belfast, go south on High Street for about a mile. Turn left onto Condon Street and continue to the end. The house is on the right. Park along the road.

     28, Page Garden: Janet Page’s garden at 20 Ocean St., Belfast, is a seaside garden made up of mostly perennials. Directions: From the traffic lights in the center of Belfast, go south on High Street for about a mile. Turn left onto Condon Street and continue to the end. The house is on the left. Park along the road.

Lois Curran’s garden, at 26 Condon St., in Belfast, is a small, private whimsical garden. It will be open Sunday, July 16.

AUGUST

     2, Jerauld Garden: Nancy Jerauld’s garden can be found at 73 Head of the Tide Road in Belfast. The garden has extensive perennial beds, including a wide variety of sedum and shrub beds all situated on the banks of the Passagassawaukeag River. Directions: Take Route 137 (Waldo Avenue). Drive one mile and turn right on Doak Road. Continue to end and turn right onto Head of Tide Road. It is the first house on the right. Park in the driveway or on the road.

     9, Plummer Garden: Barbara Plummer’s garden at 670 Shore Road in the village of Bayside is an informal perennial garden, created to attract birds and butterflies. The garden radiates from a stone and granite bird bath in the center. Directions: From Route 1 South, turn at Dos Amigos in Northport and continue a mile and a half through the village. Park in the driveway.

     12, Fancy Garden: Donna Fancy’s garden, located at 33 Londonderry Lane in Belfast, is a two-year-old garden that was started on a rough, new construction site. It presents a number of challenges and is a work in progress. There is a mix of trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials and bulbs. Directions: From the intersection of Routes 1 and 3 take Route 3 west about two miles to the Londonderry Inn. Turn right onto Londonderry Lane. It is the fourth house on the right. Park on the right side of the road.

     16, Garnett Garden: Judith Garnett’s garden can be found at 21 Bayview St., Belfast. She has a private, shaded patio garden and a sunny front garden with perennials. Directions: At the downtown traffic lights go south on High Street to Commercial Street. Turn left and then right onto Bayview. Park along the road.

     31, Hatch Garden: Lucia Hatch’s garden can be found at 3 Wexford Gardens, Tara Mews, Belfast. There is a small border around the patio at the rear of the house and also a selection of ornamental grasses, dahlias and perennials. Walk along the side of the house to the garden. Directions: From downtown Belfast go south on High Street to Salmond Street and left on Cedar Street. Continue to the end of Tara Mews. Drive counter clockwise around the development to Wexford Gardens No. 3. Park along the road.