Garden #2: Steve Adams, 4373 Kistler Rd., Schnecksville This 25 acre property is mostly wooded with the Jordan Creek flowing through it . On the property is a 200 year old German farm house. The garden features,daylilies, coneflowers, black-eye susans, trumpet lilies , and many other summer flowers. You will find some 250 dahlias representing at least 50 varieties. Steve said, “Even though keeping the garden in shape all summer it gets harder and harder as the days lengthen and the nights grow cooler, winter’s rest makes us anxious to get outside the next spring and do it all over again. So enjoy summer’s best while it lasts.”

Garden #3: Jan Pavelko, 5840 Kernsville Rd., Orefield Gardens of all kinds surround the perimeter of this one acre park–like setting. From a quiet sitting area to watch the sunset on a hammock, to a zen garden this garden is a gardener’s paradise.
DAVE SHIMP WILL BE AT THIS GARDEN FROM 11:00 TO NOON DOING A GARDEN DEMONSTRATION. He will be doing a terrarium with air plants.

Garden #4: Milka and Viliam Choma, 522 N. 28th St., Allentown This 1951 house was purchased in 2016. Milka “loves getting her hands dirty” and visiting area nurseries to select flowers that will look good in her garden. In the front you will find large beds of plantings. In the back there are raised beds where herbs and vegetables are planted to be used in our hostess’s Slovakian dishes. The beauty of their garden brings much joy to our hosts.
The SILENT AUCTION will be at this location. Bids for items will close at 3:00 pm.

Garden #5: Rick and Michelle Stringer, 222 N. 28th St. This home and out buildings were built in 1929 by the Morning Call to showcase the talents of the city’s designers and craftsmen. Exterior features include a Germantown stone base and timber “gardenhouse”, lily pond, and driveway fountain complete with two original frog fountain heads. The yard features two mighty oaks that were transplanted from nearby Muhlenberg College in 1929. The perimeter gardens feature prominently hydrangea, skip myrtles, knockout roses, peonies, and spirea. On the hillside garden can be found a diverse collection of coral bells, coleus, and ornamental grasses, with a Kousa Dogwood . In the front is a sprawling Japanese maple providing a shady respite for neighborhood walkers and a mature Hawthorne that robins love in winter.

Garden #6 John and Sue Drabic, 2126 South St., Allentown The homeowners built their home in 2016 on a wooded lot adjacent to the Cedar Creek in the Hamilton Park neighborhood. Since then, they’ve worked to transform the disturbed woodland filled with invasives into a habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Their garden features beds of native trees, shrubs and perennials, a waterfall built with stone from their property, a small vegetable garden, and a composting station. This garden is a certified habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. The owners are Penn State master gardeners. They love sharing their garden with friends, family, and wildlife.

Garden #7 Tom and Ellen Held, 1039 Treeline Dr., Allentown The homeowners purchased their lot 40 years ago because the backyard included two levels of land. This garden has progressed from being used as a baseball field, to a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors year round in their retirement. Perennials such as daylilies, rhododendron,azaleas, hydrangeas, hostas, and bleeding hearts as well as boxwood and many other evergreens help reduce maintenance and attract birds. A few annuals add color. In the yard are different features that they have collected such as a corn crib, millstone, benches, and bell that remind them of their favorite people and places.

Garden #8 Dr. Amy and James Gourniak, 1392 Highland Ct., Allentown This gardener uses gardening as a way of keeping her sane and grounded . She enjoys propagating her own flowers and vegetables in her greenhouse after starting them in her house. Her flowers are inspiration for her painting using bold and bright colors. She enjoys using her backyard for outdoor parties. A new addition to the property will be a catio. It’s an outdoor enclosure for humans and cats. This property is beautifully landscaped.

Garden # 9 Becky and Glenn Short, 5058 Westfield Dr., Macungie This garden was created 30 years ago. It started with several perennial beds alongside the house. It evolved to include an herb garden and knot garden. Trips to Williamsburg inspired the herb garden and outbuilding. There are native perennial beds which have qualified as a PSU master gardener pollinator friendly garden. Joe Pye Weed and Verbena Bonariensis attract many insects. Milkweed is planted for monarchs. The garden has been featured in the magazines: The Herb Companion, Country Gardens, Lehigh Valley Magazine, Dream Cottage Gardens and Lifestyles Over 50. In 2007 the garden was the national runner up “Best Herb Garden in the Country” contest
sponsored by the National Garden Club. Becky is a PSU master gardener.