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ALLENTOWN: Home gardens on view; club plans biennial tour

By Marisa Iati, Staff Writer
   ALLENTOWN — Approximately 10 local home gardens will be open to the public Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of the Allentown Garden Club’s biennial Hidden Gardens Tour.
   The tour will begin at the Keris Tree Farm and Christmas Shop at 842 Route 524 where participants will receive a map showing the locations of the gardens. Ticket holders also will have the opportunity to visit and purchase perennials from the wholesale Pleasant Run Nursery at 93 Ellisdale Road.
   Arleen Carlson, the Garden Club’s program coordinator, said the club is a not-for-profit community-based group of gardeners who share information and ideas with one another and complete projects related to gardening.
   ”They do some scholarships for the schools,” Ms. Carlson said. “We’ve worked with Habitat for Humanity, putting in gardens, and we’ve also put in butterfly gardens at a senior citizen development. There’s a park downtown called Heritage Park, and we do bulb planting there.”
   Ms. Carlson said a Garden Club member and the homeowner will be present at each of the gardens Saturday.
   ”Each garden will have a Garden Club member there as a greeter, and they’ll welcome them to the yard,” Ms. Carlson said. “If there’s any particular questions, they’ll either answer or direct them to the homeowner. It’s a very comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.”
   The styles of the gardens vary greatly, she said.
   ”Bob Peppler’s garden (for example), being in town and on a small lot, is a contrast to another garden on the outskirts of town,” Ms. Carlson said. “Size and location of the gardens and the personal taste of the gardeners dictate what the garden is going to be like.”
   Mr. Peppler moved into his home on South Main Street in July 2002 and created his garden soon after.
   ”A lot has been put in and a lot has been taken out,” Mr. Peppler said. “I’ve always enjoyed working outside and taking care of my lawn, but I’m not experienced. It’s trial and error, I guess.”
   Mr. Peppler said his garden includes azaleas, rhododendrons, a blue spruce tree, a dogwood tree and a weeping Japanese maple tree.
   ”If I like it, I try to find a place for it,” Mr. Peppler said. “It (gardening) gives you something to do when you want to do it.”
   Many of this year’s gardens are located outside of Allentown in the Millstone area, Ms. Carlson said. As a result, the tour requires more driving than it has in past years.
   Ms. Carlson said the proceeds from the Hidden Gardens Tour will benefit community beautification and school programs. Among other things, the club will use the funds to buy materials for planting at Heritage Park, create planters for Allentown and purchase books related to gardening for the Allentown Public Library.
   ”This year, because it was hard to find somebody who was going into horticulture, instead of scholarships we’re supporting programs that the schools are doing — either planting gardens or bringing someone in to talk about a horticulture-related topic,” she said.
   Ms. Carlson said she’s looking forward to seeing people enjoy the event.
   ”I think it’s just people coming out and enjoying gardens and seeing the possibilities of what you can do and chatting with like-minded people,” she said. “In general, that’s the purpose, to have people come out and enjoy.”
   Advance tickets for the Hidden Gardens Tour can be purchased for $10 at the Allentown Public Library, Woody’s Restaurant and the La Preferita Bakery. Tickets also can be purchased Saturday for $15 at the Keris Tree Farm.
   For directions and further information, visit www.allentowngardenclub.org or call Terry Brown, Hidden Gardens Tour chairman, at 609-259-0334.