Editor, The Spotlight,
The 19th annual Bethlehem Garden Tour delighted those who came to see some lovely private garden in our town on the second Wednesday in June.
And thank you to the generous garden owners who shared their gardens for the enjoyment of over 340 visitors. The Bethlehem Garden Club and all who went on the tour are grateful for them: Paul Winkeller and Victoria Balkoski, Ed and Barbara Schreiber, Mary Ellen Weber, Lou and Lorraine DeBour, Ann and Tom Commolly, John and Judy Dearstyne.
Any event this size has a large group of supporters, many of them behind the scenes, who make the experience a positive one. We would like to thank: the Bethlehem Police and Highway Departments for advising on routing directions and providing traffic cones; Delmar Presbyterian Church for allowing us the use of their facilities; Windsor Development Group for enabling ticket sales; John Guastella of “Our Town” for printing advance information; the Elk Sign Shop for printing our advirtising and directional signs; and especially the women of the Bethlehem Garden Club (and their families) who put in long hours before, during, and after the event.
The Plant Sale, held at Delmar Presbyterian Church, provided outstanding perennial plants to enhance local gardens, plus advice from club members on their care and nurturing.
There were three winners in the Fine Gardening Raffle: Carol Furman was the winner of two hours of fine gardening by at least six members of the club. Susan Seymour won the gardener’s gift basket and Pam Taft won a $50 gift certificate to Price Greenleaf.
Many locally-owned restaurants gave a 15 percent or 10 percent discount to tour-goers who presented their ticket booklet on the night of the event. Our thanks to Garden Bistro, Four Corners Luncheonette, Teahouse Asian Bistro, Milestone, Shalimar, 333 Cafe, Mercato’s, Hidden Cafe, Tomo Asian Bistro, Shogun Sushi and Sake Bar, 16 Handles and Roux for allowing tour goers to continues their delightful evening.
The funds raised for the Garden Tour and Fine Gardening Raffle are returned to the community through public gardens, benches and trees around town. The Plant Sale profits are given to Bethlehem schools through our educational grant.
What a beautiful evening with something for all: gardens to view, plants to purchase, a chance to be a raffle winner and local dining at a discount. See you next year on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, for another fine evening.
Martha Kissinger
President
Bethlehem Garden Club