Demonstrations to be included in Lenox garden walk

LENOX — The garden walk in Lenox on July 10 offers more than an opportunity to stroll through five beautiful gardens.

At each site there will be an exhibit and demonstration on an environmentally friendly gardening practice. The planners, Adams County Backyard Conservation Team volunteers, felt these educational demonstrations would add an interesting twist to the traditional garden walk. They also added a homemade pie and ice cream social at the park following the walk.

Although, the garden walk and demonstrations are free to the public, there will be a nominal charge for the pie and ice cream.

The garden walk/demonstrations run from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Participants are encouraged to come and go as they like. The social at the park is from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Three gardens in Lenox and two gardens on farmsteads near Lenox are featured.

People opening up their gardens to the public are:

— Harold and Lillian Leonard, 809 E. Ohio Street;

— Ben and Bonnie French of 100 N. Birch Street;

— Clytha and Janell Black of 200 W. Illinois Street;

—  (rural) David and Rita Miller of 3051 270th Street;

— (rural), Richard and Pat Trucks of 2643 110th Street.

Exhibits/Demonstrations at each site are Magic of Worm Castings (Earthworm Comp-osting) by Zim Zimmerman at the Leonards, Portable Salad (or flower) Garden by Sheila O’Riley at the Frenches, Make Seed Rolls During the Winter for Spring Planting by Janell at the Blacks, Portable Chicken coop to Move Around to Fertilize Gardens by the Millers at the Millers, and Backyard Conservation Practices at the Trucks.

Harold and Lillian Leonard left huge rambling gardens in the country to downsize in their new home in town. A professional landscaper designed their tidy and formal gardens and Lillian is the caretaker.

Bonnie French says, “Mine is a garden of love. When I moved to Lenox seven years ago, family members gave me plants to start my gardens.” She has several roses.

Janell Black proclaims their gardens are a team effort. She is the landscaper and her mother, Clytha, is the caretaker. Friends help out from time to time. Their gardens feature over 315 hostas. Pat Trucks says, “My love of gardening started when I was a small girl in my grandmother’s gardens.” Pat enjoys hybridizing iris and daylilies. She knows just the right companion plants to use.

Rita Miller likes to re-purpose items for her garden structure and art. She has areas of featured garden art and plant themes including her chicken garden. Speaking of chickens, her husband, David utilizes by-products of raising chickens to enhance his vegetables and fruits.

Maps with information are available at Bunch Hardware in Lenox and at the Natural Resources Conservation Service offices in Corning and Bedford or at any of the gardens the evening of the garden walk.

The rain date for this event is July 17. The garden walk and activities is sponsored by the Adams County Backyard Conservation, Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. All are equal opportunity providers and employers.