"Art in the Gardens" tour to be held Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Gardens of Justin & Jennifer Albright

“Art in the Gardens”, Columbia’s garden tour, will be held on Saturday, June 13, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM and will be subject to any restrictions set in place by the governor’s office. The tour returns under the coordination of Create Columbia, a local non-profit organization that is the artistic branch of Columbia’s Merchant Association. This annual tour blends the artistry of several local gardeners with the artistic talents of a variety of artists and musicians who have each been assigned to one of the venues.

Gardens of Kelly & Rebecca Murphy

The garden tour is announced at this time in optimistic anticipation of an easing of restrictions by the scheduled tour date. The organizing committee hopes that many will enjoy the fresh air of this outside activity while maintaining appropriate social distancing. Guests are asked to wear masks while attending this event, and procedures are in place to limit the number of people at each venue at any given time. If guidelines prevent participation in the tour on J une 13, an alternate date of June 27 has been established for the 2020 “Art in the Gardens” Tour. Please check the Create Columbia Facebook page for updates on the tour date.

Gardens of Jerry King Musser & Janette Toth-Musser

The garden tour will truly be “Art in the Gardens.” Each of the residential stops will host at least one artist working en plein air. Acrylics, oils, collages, and more will be produced during the garden tour. Musical artistry will also be offered at some of the locations. Enjoy the gardens, and also enjoy the talents of our featured artists.

“Art in the Gardens” features seven gardens that showcase different styles and gardening features. The artists tentatively assigned to each location are included in the listings.

Gardens of Justin & Jennifer Albright: Look for fruit trees, a raised bed, and a water feature to complement the hardscaping here. Featured artists: Jay Dombach & Elizabeth Patton

Gardens of Gary & Denise Brubaker: Family handprints, patriotic plantings, and annual planters add character to the Brubaker’s gardens. Featured artist: Peggi Donnan

Gardens of Jim & Beth Kramer: A pergola anchors the plantings in this predominately shade garden. Featured artist: Freiman Stoltzfus

Gardens of Kelly & Rebecca Murphy: These Victorian style gardens, a National Wildlife Service Certified Natural Habitat, include a water feature, an herb garden, a pergola constructed from upcycled pieces, and more. Featured artist: Emily Frey

Gardens of Jerry King Musser & Janette Toth-Musser: Inspired by the English cottage style, this garden includes whimsical topiaries as well as native Pennsylvania flowers, herbs, and a variety of perennials. Featured artist: Janette Toth-Musser

Gardens of Dave & Vivian Rupp: A wide variety of ornamental trees and perennials add color to features including a goldfish pond, a grape arbor, and Dave’s shanty – a building that is over 150 years old which was removed from Mount Bethel Cemetery and reconstructed here. Featured artist: Susan Darling

Gardens of Tom & Kathy Ziegler: Evergreens, trees, perennials, grasses, and bushes give warmth to this Certified Wildlife Habitat recognized by the National Wildlife Federation. Look for a gazebo, bird houses, garden art, and more. Featured artist: Leslie Harbold

Gardens of Wright’s Ferry Mansion: Long a favorite of the Columbia garden tours, the gardens at Wright’s Ferry Mansion will not be able to participate this year due to closure caused by the pandemic. This site looks forward to returning to the tour next year.

The seven residential gardens will be featured for the duration of the tour. For a sneak preview of each garden in ongoing posts, visit Create Columbia’s Facebook page.

In addition, demonstrations were planned for the terrace of the Columbia Public Library. Plans for tours of the library and scheduled demonstrations on making grapevine wreaths and making bows for had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

Tickets for the tour will be available for purchase on the tour date, which will be dependent upon Governor Wolf’s orders. Admission programs costing $15 each may be purchased in the gazebo located in Columbia’s Locust Street Park beginning at 9:30AM. Cash or check is required for ticket purchase. Please refer to https://www.facebook.com/createcolumbia to determine the established tour date. This event will be held rain or shine.

[Source: Press release]