Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
Have you ever wished you could experience the magic of a secret garden? Here is your opportunity to pull back the botanical curtain and visit private gardens in our South Jersey area. On Sunday, July 9, The Little Gardens Club of Atlantic City will hold its 24th summer garden tour from 9am to 3pm. This rain or shine tour will feature gardens from Linwood, Northfield, Egg Harbor Township, Mays Landing, Egg Harbor City, and Galloway.
As you explore the nine different gardens, you will learn their unique stories. While some of the gardens carry on a rich family history that spans generations, others have been planted around new construction, using their existing woodsy setting as inspiration. Trees will tell the tale, from giant oaks so large that they dwarf 15-foot high rhododendrons, to ancient trees destroyed in storms. Over time, with hard work and perseverance, these gardens were lovingly brought back to life. Visit a four-story sycamore tree in Egg Harbor City along with oak, black walnut, maple, cedar, magnolia, holly, persimmon, and other varieties of trees that provide food and shelter for wildlife. Touring the gardens will inspire you with creative ideas that you can implement in your own garden. Learn how fellow gardeners have created natural habitats for pollinators and lakeside critters resulting in breathtaking views for visitors.
The Little Gardens Club of Atlantic City celebrates its 101st anniversary this year. One of the oldest garden clubs in our area, it was founded in 1922 by women who summered in Atlantic City. Most of the members of that time were coming from larger homes and gardens in the Philadelphia and mainland areas. They considered their gardens at the shore their “little gardens”, thus the name.
From the beginning, money raised by holding garden tours was used to invest back into the community. During WWII when soldiers were in make-shift hospitals, the group provided flowers and magazines for recovering soldiers. Today, the garden tour, which is always held on the weekend after the Fourth of July, continues to be a mainstay of the group. Proceeds from the tour provide funds for local civic and environmental organizations including: South Jersey Plant Society, Linwood Arboretum, Ocean Heights Presbyterian Community Garden, Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, and Reeds Road Farm.
Throughout the year, the garden club hosts various events and bus tours. They also hold monthly meetings, hosting informative guest speakers. If you would like more information about the garden club or upcoming summer tour in July, contact Janet Longo at (609) 226-6596. Tickets for this event can be found at the following locations: Joe’s Garden Center in Absecon, Lang’s Garden Market in Linwood, and Bob’s Garden Center in Egg Harbor Township.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
