Welcome to the Girard garden tour!
We hope you enjoy the first-ever Girard Garden Tour! You are welcome to visit the featured gardens in any order.
Garden Tour ticket proceeds will go to the Girard Area Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by a group of Girard-area residents who saw the importance of planning for the future of our proud communities. When folks ask us what we do, our quick answer is, “We help people who want to do something good for Girard-area communities find a way to do it!” GACF engages people and connects resources while cultivating and inspiring the dreams of our residents.
Table of Contents
The Basics
Date and time: Saturday, June 20, 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: Tickets are $10 and include five raffle tickets for gardening prizes. Tickets can be purchased from any of our sponsors. All ticket proceeds will go to the Girard Area Community Foundation.
Lunch and refreshments: Refreshments will be available, and a lunch will be served at the First Christian Church Memory Garden and Park, 108 W. Walnut in Girard. Lunches are $6 and will be served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch and refreshment proceeds will benefit the First Christian Church Building Fund.
Raffle: We will be giving away several garden-related prizes donated by business sponsors and GACF trustees. Each of gardens 2 through 6 will offer a separate prize, and you can enter by leaving a note or card with your name and phone number in the raffle-ticket basket at each location.
Sponsors: A very special thanks to our sponsors:
- In the Garden (Pittsburg)
- Jenny’s Flower Shoppe (Girard)
- The Painted Daisy (Girard)
- Silver Creek Antique Mall & Flea Market (Girard)
- VanBecelaere Greenhous (Pittsburg)
The Gardens
Garden 1 ~ First Christian Church Park
Address: 108 W. Walnut
This park is the church’s gift to our community, and they take pride in maintaining a welcoming space for all. A beautiful little corner called “Memory Garden,” complete with a wisteria-covered wooden cross, honors lost loved ones.
Refreshments and lunch are available at the park during the tour. Refreshments will be sold from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch will cost $6.00.
Garden 2 ~ Blaise & Nancy Bauer
A long, winding driveway that meanders through mature trees sets the tone for Blaise and Nancy Bauer’s casual country gardens. You’re sure to see more than a few hummingbirds and butterflies enjoying the vivid array of flowers in both the front and back yards.
Nancy describes her gardens as a mix of “freebies” from fellow gardeners, gifts, and the occasional purchase. She loves the stories behind her plantings, and even keeps a gardening scrapbook. Their peaceful property surrounded by trees is so inviting and welcoming, you won’t want to leave the Bauers’ secluded little corner of the world!
Garden 3 ~ Mike & Linda Crocker
Mike and Linda Crocker refer to their gardens as their therapy. They consider their sprawling yard an extension of their living space, and they love surrounding themselves with an abundance of plantings and interesting garden décor. A favorite pastime of the Crockers is sitting on the patio in the mornings, drinking their coffee, and watching the birds flit in and out of the birdhouses, partaking of the various feeders.
A multitude of potted plants and flowers surround the swimming pool, creating a colorful summer oasis. The expansive yard is a wonderland for the couple’s grandchildren, who love helping Grandma and Grandpa water and “piddle in the flowers.”
Garden 4 ~ Mike & Terry Johnson
When Mike and Terry Johnson purchased their home a mere 4.5 years ago, they left behind mature gardens 15 years in the making. You’ll be impressed with what they have accomplished in this short time! A lovely koi pond and waterfall create a beautiful focal point, as well as a serene ambiance.
Much of the flora was chosen to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other songbirds, which they love watching. The addition of fruit and vegetable beds, as well as an herb garden, suits the palate and satisfies come canning season.
Enjoy strolling through the Johnsons’ various gathering spaces. They call it a “work in progress;” you’ll call it enchanting!
Garden 5 ~ Steve & Martha Murphy
Steve and Martha Murphy relish their tranquil, rural setting on their Century Farm. A wrap-around porch welcomes you to their home.
As Martha planned her gardens, she wanted a place where she could sit and be surrounded by flowers. Her perennial shade garden can be enjoyed from the porch in cooler weather, but on warm summer days, you’ll want to sit right in the middle of it and enjoy the summer breeze! When their son decided to get married in the yard in 2006, Martha added a naturalized garden across the driveway with a stone retaining wall. A 2-row horse-drawn corn planter used by Steve’s great-grandfather is the centerpiece of a third garden.
It’s genuine Kansas country charm!
Garden 6 ~ Hank & Carrie Smith
Hank and Carrie Smith live at the very end of Timbercreek Road in a quaint, quiet neighborhood, surrounded by friends and family. Their yard is often the gathering place for games and get-togethers. For this reason, they have created a yard that is comfortable enough for play, yet pretty enough to entice guests to just hang out.
Their first family project was a shade garden that was a Mother’s Day gift for Carrie. The Smiths often take family photos in this comfortable, inviting area. While visiting their garden, stay a while and play a yard game or two, or just enjoy strolling among the various gathering areas surrounded by flowers, fountains, and statues.