26. Annual Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea Highlights Unknown Gardens in Shepherdstown | News, sports, jobs

Shepherd Village Permaculture Garden Coordinator Gale Seiler, left, talks to Harpers Ferry residents Linda Layne, Center and Shari Kercheval on Saturday at the behind Alley Garden Tour & Tea. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

Shepherdstown – crowds filled the streets in the corporation of Shepherdstown over the weekend and strived to take part in the 26th annual Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea.

The event in Shepherdstown and High Tea in the war memorial building on the second weekend in May has presented well-maintained gardens every year since 1999. What made the Back Gasse Garden Tour & Tea an important draw for the participants this year was the number of new gardens on this year's tour.

“It has become a big event” said James “Pug” Puglisi, who supervised the organization of the tour. “This is the first time this year that the Shepherd village and the Weisenplatz were on the tour. Your gardens are spectacular.”

Also new on the tour was the garden in the 4911 River Road, in which the participants made a short trip outside the city's corporate borders. Although the tour is supposed to differ from other garden tours, the 1.5 hectare garden in this location was too beautiful and near the section of Shepherdstown on this year's tour.

“We are now making this new regional plan that we started three years ago to regulate the city in three sections: West, south and east. In this way, it is more concentrated and brings more gardens to a smaller area so that smaller gardens can participate.” Puglisi said and found that this year's tour showed the Eastern Steeplung. “In the past, it was difficult to record the smaller gardens on the tour because they fought for one of the tour stop positions with other larger gardens in the city.”

James “Pug”, Puglisi Left, shows photos that demonstrate the extensive restoration on his house, the Reynolds House, which served as a tour stop 13 on the back alley of alleys. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

He said this was a more integrative choice for the gardens in the city and the tour participant with mobility restrictions.

“The main reason why we do this is that there is a two -year break for home owners.” Said Puglisi. “I'm on the Garden Tour this year, but next year it will be on the west side and the following year it is on the south side. It will give me enough break that I can put more energy and effort into the garden when it is time to show my garden on the tour.”

For the residents of Harpers Ferry, Linda Layne and Shari Kercheval, the permaculture garden in Shepherd Village was of particular interest.

“It's so nice”, “ Said Layne. “I've always wanted to come on the tour, but this is my first time.”

For Gale Seiler, who acts as team leader of the permaculture garden, it was a positive experience to be the first year on the tour.

Girl Scout Troop 15006 member Lizzy Gorsuch, right, serves tea -sandwiches for the resident of Lake Frederick, the residents Beth Jorgensen and Carrie Draper, in the memorial build on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

“It was great. It was fun to get through so many interested people” Said Seiler. “It was nice to share more about our community with people and above all what we do here in this garden. So many people said:” I wish I had lived here. “

When the participants were ready for nutrition, they made their way to the war memorial building, where tea organizer Errika Best Led -volunteers from the Shepherdstown Community Club, the Girl Soldat Troop 15006 and the Saint James School at the servi quarters of hot and worked tea, water, scones and tea sandwiches.

“This is one of the nuclear donations for the Shepherdstown Community Club.” Best told. “The Shepherdstown Community Club manages both that War Memorial Building and Morgan's Grove Park. It is a year -long commitment to manage both institutions.”

After the best, some changes were introduced to this year's tea to ensure that the needs of all participants were met. The number of tables has been expanded so that the number of those served at a time could be expanded. Tea to-go was also available for those who wanted to enjoy their tea elsewhere. And for those who wanted to take home a memorial from the Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea, a shopping bag was offered for sale where a local artist from Tour Stop Six, Thomas Shepherd Grist Mill, performed.

Returned artistic elements on this year's tour belonged: Plein Air artist who paint many of the gardens on the tour; The art exhibition of the Friday evening painter on the first floor of the War Memorial Building; And the musical achievements of the band Timothy's Tea & Jam based in Shepherdstown in High Tea.

Pheny Aldis in Shepherdstown, left, shares information about your garden, which was first presented at this year's Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea. Photo by Tabitha Johnston