As azalea blooms enliven our beautiful suburb, residents of some of East Cobb’s most beautiful homes will open their gardens and allow admirers to get a peek thanks to the 16th annual Garden Tour. Hosted by the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County this beloved annual event is your chance to tour six beautiful gardens in East Cobb County. The Through the Garden Gate tour is designed to demonstrate to the public how the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County maintain their own landscapes. For the past 16 years, several private gardens and various projects are selected to be on tour. These are not “connoisseur” or “checkbook” gardens, but rather “teaching gardens” providing real-life lessons and inspiration. Visiting gardens at their prime in spring is always a joy. Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County hope you will visit the selected gardens on Saturday, May 12, 10am to 5pm.
These gardens will delight the senses and give inspiration and encouragement to gardeners and would-be gardeners alike. Master Gardeners will be on site providing interpretation and educational opportunities for tour guests. Plant lists and printed educational materials will also be available at each garden.
All gardens are located in the East Cobb area. Master Gardener docents will be available at each site to answer questions and help you to create a healthy and functional garden. This year’s theme is on gardens and the five senses. “We want you to experience the many ways gardens inspire, not only to dig and plant, but to photograph, sketch, cook, take a whiff, and compose!,” says JoAnne Newman, Chair of this year’s event. The garden tour is also offering hands-on demonstrations of some basic gardening skills and a cooking demonstration at Hyde Farm. Your support of this annual garden tour helps the Master Gardeners of Cobb County provide funding for school and community gardens and other horticultural education programs in Cobb County.
The Garden Tour admission is $15 per person. Tickets may be purchased on the day of the event at any of the gardens on the tour for $20. Children 17 and under are free. All entries to the gardens must have a ticket. Tickets may be purchased in advance from a Master Gardener or at the UGA Cobb County Extension Office, 678 South Cobb Drive, Suite 200, Marietta 30060 or at any garden on the day of the Tour. Call 770-528-4070 with questions. Only cash or checks will be accepted. The gardens are not wheelchair or stroller accessible. Only service animals are allowed. Tour will be held rain or shine.
Here are the gardens featured on this year’s Garden Tour:
Jazz It Up At Joe’s
The Washington Garden
2192 Deep Woods Way, Marietta 30062
From tots to teens to empty nest, Master Gardener Joe Washington’s garden of 34 years as evolved. The sound of soft jazz is the perfect match for a stroll from the sunny front to the shady back – the perfect spot to kick back and relax! A variety of native and nonnative plants complement the hardscape features. Joe has enjoyed years of designing and completing his garden projects with an eye toward low maintenance and simplicity of care. As a special treat, visitors “of a certain age” will learn that you are never too old to garden if you adopt some helpful adaptive gardening tools and techniques.
Murdock Elementary School’s Garden
Seed What It’s All About
Murdock Elementary
2320 Murdock Road, Marietta 30062
Kindergarteners and First Graders enhance their science education at Murdock outside by planting a summer vegetable garden entirely from seeds and harvesting the vegetables in the fall! Students and staff will be on-hand to demonstrate how seamlessly the indoor classroom and outdoors work together to enrich their educational programs. And, visitors will learn to hone their garden skills with several hands-on demonstrations including proper pruning techniques from the Master Gardeners. Don’t be late for class!
Farm to Table
Hyde Farm Community Garden
726 Hyde Road, Marietta 30068
There is no better place to prepare and taste your veggies than right on the farm! And there is no better place for growing them than at the historic Hyde Farm property in East Cobb. The Community Garden at Hyde Farm was opened for “bed renters” in late 2017. The newest project of the Cobb Master Gardeners, the garden features 50, 4’ x 8’ raised beds and a large pollinator garden. Visitors will not only experience how a community garden works, but learn the health benefits of growing and preparing the harvest in the adjacent kitchen. Come on in!
On the Waterfront
The Lok Garden
1811 Baldwin Farms Drive, Marietta 30068
Twenty years ago, the lakeside garden of Master Gardener Maureen Lok and her husband, Jan Michael, was a “boring” mix of lawn, junipers, and “meatball shrubs.” No traces remain. Today, they are surrounded by a healthy assortment of native and favorite trees and perennials. Their vision is a peaceful, shady retreat for the family to enjoy and for flora and fauna to flourish. Their garden is a certified Wildlife Habitat. Like many lots in Cobb County, steep slopes and erosion have presented drainage and gardening challenges. Learn how they have redesigned the garden to meet those challenges and oh yes, take in that view!
Thanks for the Memories
The Young Garden
4066 Sweat Creek Cove, Marietta 30062
Pat and Tom Young’s garden is affectionately known as “Waldo Gardens.” It bears the name of a special kitty that passed not long before they built and moved into their home in 2007. Their garden is a living album of people, pets, and plants loved. The Youngs painstakingly restored the topsoil removed during construction and blended the formal front yard into the steep, natural, yet stunning back which is also certified Wildlife Habitat. Guests will enjoy discovering the garden’s special features and perhaps get a glimpse of the resident breeding hawks.
The Herbert Garden awaits visitors.
The Artful Gardener
The Hebert Garden
4145 Jefferson Twp Parkway, Marietta 30066
Split rail and picket fences, colonial style homes, and large lots welcome you to the enclave of Jefferson Township. Master Gardener and former art educator Jayne Hebert took full advantage of all her yard has to offer. The garden features a wide variety of flowering perennials, parterre raised beds, grape vines, blueberries, fruit and nut trees, and more, all set against a lovely backdrop of the home and 100-year-old barn. Her artistic eye is apparent as you will discover artfully integrated garden antiques with flea market finds. Visitors will especially appreciate her handmade deer fencing.
The mission of the Master Gardeners of Cobb County is to advance the horticultural education of its members and to promote the knowledge, interest, appreciation, and enjoyment of gardening and to extend this knowledge and enjoyment to the members and the public. To learn more about Master Gardeners, their projects, read their garden articles, and find out how to become a Master Gardener, please visit their website: www.cobbmastergardeners.org.
This article originally appeared in the April issue of the EAST COBBER magazine, on page 14. Click here to view the digital edition.
