The 2009 tour in Lancaster County will be a mixture of various gardens and styles, promising something for everyone. It will be held on May 15th and 16th and will take place rain or shine. Advance tickets are $12 and tickets purchased the days of the event are $15. Brochures and advance ticket sales will be available in early March at the following locations: The Haven Shelter & Services, Inc. Administrative Office, Northern Neck Home and Garden in Warsaw, Wildest Dreams in Burgess, Greenpoint Nursery in Lively, The Dandelion in Irvington, The Pedestal in Kilmarnock, and Wilton Cottage and Garden in Hartfield.
The 2009 featured gardens are:
The Beason garden (Donna and Buddy Beason), located in Merry Point, is filled with local “garden art.” A 160-foot long water feature has seven waterfalls with goldfish and koi ponds. There are paved paths with many native plants and various raised beds. There is even have a small, screened “Quonset hut” designed to keep the herbs from being eaten by predators!
The Boundy garden (Paula and Marvin Boundy) is located in Irvington. This suburban wildlife habitat features diverse gardens, which form a naturalistic setting with an emphasis on native plants used by wildlife. Paula, who is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, maintains documentation on at least 170 species identified or planted on the property.
The Morchower garden (Kathy and Mike Morchower), also located in Irvington, is a personal, imaginative garden. There are two water features—a koi pond and a water garden with water lilies. Most of the yard is on low land that is often wet and therefore features plants to do well in harsh, damp conditions. Various sculptures and whimsical ornaments will catch visitors by surprise.
The Lay garden (Mary Lloyd and David Lay), in Kilmarnock, is a collector’s garden with a three-tiered structure, framed by native mountain laurel. This five-acre garden slopes toward the Corrotoman waterfront as grassy paths wind past beds of mixed perennials. This mature woodland garden has been featured on HGTV and in Perennials magazine.
The Kilmon garden (Alex Kilmon), in Kilmarnock, is a waterside garden featuring huge oak trees that anchor the property along the shoreline. The lovely gardens planted with annuals and perennials in primarily pinks, lavenders and whites are reminiscent of an English country garden.
To date, Just Gardens has raised approximately $83,000 for The Haven. These funds helped build the new shelter, which opened October 26, 2007. Funds raised from this tour will now go toward an endowment that will be used for maintenance of the facility into the future.
The Haven is a non-profit organization, which provides services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in the rural area of the Northern Neck of Virginia. The mission of The Haven is to prevent and eliminate all types of domestic violence and sexual assault and stalking. To meet that end, they provide advocacy and shelter for identified victims of partner abuse and sexual assault, provide support services to victims and their families and enhance public awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault through community outreach and education. For more information, call Sandy Longest, Community Relations Coordinator, at The Haven Shelter & Services, Inc., 804-333-1099 or email at crc@havenshelter.org.