By Amy Batista, Special Writer
The city came alive with visitors in search of secret gardens during the Historical Garden Tour on June 28.
The Bordentown Historical Society hosted its annual garden tour entitled “History In Bloom.”
”They are really nice this year,” said Suzanne Wheelock, Bordentown Historical Society trustee.
The event began at the Friends Meeting House, located at 302 Farnsworth Ave., and was a self-guided tour through eight of Bordentown City’s historical gardens for $10 per person. Guests were provided a map of where the private and public gardens were located in town.
Approximately 85 people participated in the tour, according to Board Secretary Patti Desantis and organizer of the event.
The tour has been occurring for 25 years, she said.
Proceeds from the tour go to the preservation of the Historical Society, Ms. Desantis said.
”It’s a good cause,” she said. “We are happy that everybody comes out and supports us.”
”It’s the beautiful gardens that are hidden in this historical town,” said Kathy Finch, board trustee/acquisitions.
Ms. Wheelock said all the gardens are “very special.”
”It’s such a surprise,” she said. “They are all hidden in the back of our beautiful historical town.”
”A lot of them you will be amazed at what they do in small spaces with the vegetables,” Ms. Desantis said.
Many of the gardeners offered refreshments and spent a lot of time preparing their gardens to be shown on the tour.
”They put so much of their time and heart and soul into it and they love it,” Ms. Finch said. “It’s nice to be able to share it with other people.”
Ms. Finch said the event also helps “introduce a lot of people to the history of our town.”
”We send a notice out to the membership and we ask people in town with unique gardens if they want to participate and they do it knowing that it helps the Meeting House,” she said.
For Ms. Finch, the highlight of the garden tour is having people who have never been to the town come and see what makes residents appreciate it.
”People never cease to be amazed at the wonderful history that is packed into this one square mile,” she said.
Ms. Wheelock noted that a pre-tour was held the night before.
”People who were on the tour could go around and see each other’s,” she said. “That always works well and we have a nice time.”
Bobette Bohnen had her garden on Prince Street featured on the tour.
”I moved in here in 1994 with my two little boys and over the years I just made it my own,” she said. “I chipped away. I took down a shed, put in a fishpond. A woman down the street was getting rid of her old brick and I more or less put these all down myself.”
In the beginning it was an English garden but now it looks like an Asian garden.
”Each month I have different colors and I always have (something) blooming,” she said. “I enjoy when people come through.”
She has been “trying to persuade” her niece to get married in her garden, she said.
As people toured her garden, her friend, Frank Ciampa, of Bordentown Township, performed music for her guests, which was something new this year.
Kathy Shaw on East Union Street featured her garden on the tour for the first time. She had vegetable plants in one corner of the yard but overall her garden has many uses.
”We try to support wildlife habitat,” she said. “We have bird grass and we collect rain water in our rain barrel. They’re great.”
She gave fairy lily bulbs to guests to take home with them.
”I am just so happy to share the beauty of a garden with other people,” she said.
Mitra Kelly, of Plainsboro, said she attends the event “every year.”
”It’s lovely,” said Ms. Kelly. “The map is terrific. The flowers are beautiful.”
”I come to see the variety of the gardens,” she said. “The fact that it’s walkable and I love to walk the town. It’s a pretty town.”
Mary Agnes Procaccino, of Princeton, said the gardens on the tour get the imagination going.
”You get good ideas to do with your garden at home,” said Ms. Procaccino.
Resident Bernadette Chojnacki on Corsswicks Street described being part of the tour as “very nice.”
”At the end of the day you just come and listen to the water and decompress,” said Ms. Chojnacki. “That’s what it is like for me. Gardening is a calming thing.”
She has a pond in her backyard, which features a waterfall, goldfish and lily pads. For her, the highlight of the event is meeting people who really like to see something different.
”That’s what everybody says, ‘Who knew this was back here,’” she said. “That’s kind of the nice thing about it though. It’s just quiet even though we are on a main street.”
All of the little nirvana places in town are what makes it unique, she added.
Resident Mickey Desantis on East Burlington Street said he moved into town in 1997.
”It was all overgrown and nothing was back here,” said Mr. Desantis. “We have a lot of vegetables and flowers mixed here. We have an herb garden and in the back is Patti’s (his wife) quiet time area.”
He said gardening for him is “actually a hobby.”
”Once the home got remodeled I had more time to take it outside,” he said.
Resident Don Stein on East Burlington Street, a master arborist, said gardening is fun and relaxing.
”I run around every year and try and plug in holes,” he said.
His garden is 10 years old and is a mix of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, herbs and vegetables.
For him, the highlight of being part of the tour was “what it does for this community.”
”It’s a noble cause,” he said.

