Apart from occasional visits to places like Longwood Gardens, when it comes to gardening, I’m usually either outside, working with plants or inside, writing about them. The past two weekends, however, I had the opportunity to enjoy other people’s gardens and chat with fellow gardeners. The occasion was the first-ever, statewide PA Garden Party Tour and I had been invited to participate by setting up at two different gardens with my book, Listening to Nature’s Voice.
Pam Baxter was invited to participate at the first-ever statewide PA Garden Party Tour by setting up at two different gardens with her book. (Photo by Pam Baxter)
On June 20, the first day of the event, I was stationed at the home of Kate and Ed, in Broomall, Delaware County. I had scoped out the location ahead of time on my Maps app, but even in satellite view I could tell nothing about what I’d find, but because of dense tree canopy, I couldn’t get a peek at what was planted below. When I arrived, I found that from the front of the house the property looked like the others in the neighborhood, with a neat lawn and a scattering shade trees. Walking into the backyard yielded something entirely different.
Immediately inside the gate was a small shade garden, soft with ferns. Just beyond, I was surprised to find a vegetable garden, with tidy beds bursting with tomatoes, cabbage, onions, garlic, eggplant, strawberries, carrots, bush beans, sunflowers, and rhubarb. There were also the largest dill plants I’ve ever seen, standing almost as tall as I. Host Kate told me that the two plants had seeded themselves in from last year’s plants. Impressed by their tenacity, she let them continue to grow where they sprouted. There was a row of poppies, sporting their iconic, crown-like seed heads. Kate said she’ll harvest the seeds to make poppy-seed cakes.
Beyond an open-work wooden fence was an ornamental garden anchored with a weeping beech tree with a shade garden beneath, a feathery cut-leaf Japanese maple, and a hedge of cryptomeria. The tour ended at a simple but elegant water feature. The garden area wasn’t enormous, but with the variety of plantings, fencing, winding paths, and intentionally created areas within the overall space, walking through the garden felt like a journey.
Most of the visitors I met that day were local to the Philadelphia area, but I also met folks who had traveled all the way from Pittsburgh.
One of the things I enjoyed was listening to the language of plants, their beautiful botanical names passing people’s lips like everyday words as they greeted plants and trees like familiar friends. Visitors were also interested in learning the names of plants they weren’t already familiar with, like the beautiful Persian ironwood tree (Parrotia persica) I got to sit under, enjoying its shade. I could see visitors mentally tucking away the information, perhaps to look up later and try growing in their own gardens.
I know what it’s like, especially at the winter holiday season, to get ready for guests, but they’re mostly my family, and quite forgiving when it comes to whatever clutter I didn’t have time to get to. I can only imagine what it’s like to get your yard and gardens spruced up and weed free before opening the gate to a group of strangers. One thing I was reminded of though, is that gardeners never seem to remain strangers for long, and spending time among plants and meeting new people made for a beautiful day.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Pam’s books, including Listening to Nature’s Voice, are available via her website pamelabaxterbooks.com. You can also sign up for “Rambles,” her monthly newsletter.
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