Dan and Julie Seitz of Altoona look through the Discovery Garden’s kaleidoscope.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
What started out as an idea for a “small flower garden” in honor of Courtney Claton by her family has flourished into a unique sanctuary filled with an abundance of flowers and pathways open for all to enjoy.
Now in its 25th year, the Discovery Garden at Legion Park, Hollidaysburg, will celebrate its humble beginnings Thursday, Sept. 18, during a ceremony to unveil a mystery fixture that will be housed at the garden. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the program begins at 6 p.m.
Courtney’s legacy
Courtney Leigh Claton graduated from Hollidaysburg Area High School in 1995, worked at Skills of Central PA in Altoona, enjoyed biking, participating in Special Olympics and volunteering.
When she passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on July 10, 1997, her family wanted to create a lasting memorial to her that also benefitted the community she loved.
The garden’s centerpiece is a 25-foot horizontal sundial. The sundial was the first 25-foot sundial on the East Coast and is listed on the North American Sundial Society Registry.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Three years later, on Sept. 17, 2000, Discovery Garden was dedicated in her memory, marking the start of a community asset that continues to grow, offering respite to all who enter its gates.
“There is no other place like it,” said Master Gardener Pam Rose, one of the garden’s caretakers.
Larry Claton said his wife, Karen, had a “lifelong passion” to establish this garden.
In the beginning, they started with the idea of making a small garden to remember their daughter, but then they learned that space was available by Legion Park.
Karen was “off and running” with the idea, Larry said of his wife, who passed away in May 2024 after a battle with cancer.
Children enjoy exploring the elements of the Secret Garden.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Garden open to all
When they decided to go big with the garden, Karen created the Discovery Garden committee with the idea of building an open and accessible garden. With support from friends and acquaintances, donations and contributions began to pour in from the local community, Larry said.
Members of the Hollidaysburg Area Women’s Club pitched in by designating the Discovery Garden as the president’s project at the time, project manager
Leslie Smith said.
Skills of Central PA also supported the garden by handling its administration, documentation and finances, said Mike Lysakowski, senior director of marketing and communication. The Skills Foundation continues to manage these services for the garden, he said.
After more than two years of planning and planting, the garden was officially opened to the public in September 2000.
“It was a work of love from my wife to establish that garden,” Larry said, “along with a tremendous amount of volunteers that assisted her throughout the years.”
Karen didn’t create the gardens for herself, Larry said. Instead, its continued use and its cherished spot in the community is a lasting tribute to Courtney.
Flourishing flowers
The Discovery Garden has grown throughout the years and now hosts multiple interactive elements, such as a kaleidoscope and quaint wooden bridges.
In honor of both Courtney and Karen, every corner of the Discovery Garden is filled with bright and colorful flowers, co-director Lisa Merschiltz said.
Merschiltz, Rose and retired farmer and landscaper George Erb — and countless volunteers and children — have gotten their hands dirty in the garden.
Garden maintenance is almost 100% volunteer work, committee member JoAnn Propcheck said.
While there are 10 to 15 consistent volunteers, she hopes more will step forward to help make the garden flourish. Volunteers don’t have to live locally, she added, noting one volunteer makes the commute from Roaring Spring.
To entice visitors and volunteers, the Discovery Garden includes multiple smaller themed gardens, such as the butterfly garden, cottage garden, evergreen garden, horticulture therapy garden and a planting garden, which offers elementary school groups and individuals with disabilities an opportunity to cultivate seedlings, learn about plants and flowers and plant them in the Discovery Garden.
The garden also includes the secret garden, sensory garden and time garden, complete with a 25-foot horizontal sundial. The plants in the time garden include flowers with time-related names — day lilies, morning glories, thyme and sunflowers. There is even a ginkgo tree, the oldest species of tree, recorded back to dinosaur years.
From annuals to perennials, Merschiltz said the garden includes “aesthetically pleasing” flowers that simultaneously act as pollinators for bees and butterflies.
Garden well used
A lot of people visit the garden, Propcheck said.
Clubs use the space for meetings, she said, including a group of ladies from Bloomsburg who come by bus to have lunch at the gazebo.
Photography is also popular in the garden.
“People come in for pictures,” Merschiltz said, “so we need to have colorful, bright and pretty flowers for the photography that is done down there.”
The garden also serves as a popular place for milestone photoshoots like prom, senior and wedding photos, Propcheck said. They have even held weddings in the garden.
“It’s really nice to see perspectives from different people taking photographs,” she said.
Looking forward
At the 25th anniversary celebration, the committee will unveil the mystery fixture that will be housed at the garden.
Propcheck said she couldn’t reveal the surprise, but she hinted that the fixture will be something that the community can use to “take pictures.”
Along with the surprise, Propcheck said Larry Claton, State Sen. Judy Ward and State Rep. Scott Barger will give brief remarks.
After that, the Altoona Symphony will provide live music as accompaniment as visitors enjoy the lush gardens.
Merschiltz said the committee and volunteers have been working “really hard to make sure the garden looks good” and to make it as “beautiful as possible.”
The garden is a jewel in the community, Lysakowski said, and that makes him very proud his organization helps bring it to life.
“We will continue to maintain and grow a beautiful destination for the community,” Propcheck added.
The Discovery Garden is a unique partnership of the Hollidaysburg Area Women’s Club, Blair Garden Club, Borough of Hollidaysburg, The Skills Foundation and community volunteers. More information can be found at discoverygardenpa.com.
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