~2026 Garden Tours ~
Garden Tour #1
A Wonderland of Beauty for the Birds, Bees and Butterflies
Our first garden tour of summer 2026 was held on a beautiful sunny day at the home of member, Anne Foster. Anne’s delightful neighboring friends, Karen & Tom opened up their garden for the start of our tour. From the moment we parked our cars, the gardens lured us along curved pathways dotted with hardscape elements of stone, metal arbors, wooden bridges & benches, and cement statues & urns. The walkthrough archways were laced with rare-colored clematis vines, urns were filled with beautiful combinations of flowering annuals, and a stacked limestone outcropping featured a small waterfall and a burgundy Japanese weeping maple tree all of which invoked a sense of tranquility. Walking through the purposefully created winding pathway to Anne’s house for more gardens and a peaceful luncheon on her covered expansive mahogany porch and bluestone patio was a true experience of the quote: “The road to a friend’s house is never long…” by Ann Richards.
Elizabeth Young
Enjoying a beautiful day together. Thank you to our hosts.
"From buckthorn to blossoms" - Karen and Tom VanDoren transformed a field of invasive buckthorn into a backyard oasis for the bees, birds, and butterflies
Anne Foster redesigned her backyard of monochromatic evergreens into a colorful pallet of brilliant blooms.
Garden Tour #2
Fresh Blooms - Let the Lilies Speak
Our 2nd Garden Tour of 2026 was held at Jerry and Shelagh Shapiro’s country home that sits upon acres of meadowland. Since 1991, they have been transforming this former farmland into a peaceful walking paradise. They’ve cleared pathways set among a variety of trees, native shrubbery, and crafted pollinator spaces beneath this canopy; much to a bird’s content. As the pathways beckoned us further along into this eden paradise, a beautiful large pond welcomed us with the gentle chorus of frogs calling from the reeds, nearby birds chirping ever so softly and the warming breeze stirring up the branches on the nearby willow and birch trees. The benches and hammocks tempted us to stay and just close our eyes and bring into focus our other senses.
Jerry’s enthusiasm for the garden was contagious. He explained his on-going garden thoughts and showed us Shelagh’s vegetable garden fortress she had built. Before entering the upper back porch; we walked through a natural stoned-paved garden room enclosed with Arborvitae hedge walls supporting a naturalistic perennial border consisting of Echinacea, Stachys monieri, Baptisia, Daylily, Asters, Black cohosh, Hydrangea, and Thyme. Jerry’s combination is truly a fine example of a cottage garden with interest from early summer into fall and providing an appealing nectar beneficial to both the insect and the flower.
To make ascending the stairs to the peaceful upper back porch a delightful experience; healthy grape vines climbed the wooden handrails. We ate our lunches, chatting, and lingering on shortbreads and peach scones; provided by Margie Larson and our host Shelagh Shapiro. Jerry had several books displayed on a table for us to peruse where one such book stood out: A Year at North Hill by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd. This book documents the North Hill four-season southern Vermont garden which in turn inspired The Shapiro’s garden.
Elizabeth Young
Garden Tour #3
Cottage Garden
Sandy and Barry Doolan’s home and property are one of those that make your head turn as you’re driving along a quiet country road in Vermont. As we made our way up the gently winding driveway, the picturesque, tranquil valley of Fletcher, Vermont lay below. They purchased this historic homestead over 40 years ago when Barry, a geologist at UVM, fell in love with the natural rock formations. The house did not have running water at the time! Since then, then have transformed the grounds into a country paradise.
Their 1800’s farmhouse is complemented by their gardens, outbuildings, and goats. The modern style kitchen garden held a pleasing mix of several herb varieties such as: mints, sages, thymes, and basils, planted among tomato plants, fruit trees, berry bushes, perennials and annual cutting flowers. A nestled antique metal water pump added a whimsical touch as did the metal goat sculpture just outside the sleeping cottage’s door.
As we walked through the hilly backyard strewn with boulders, we spotted several playful goats scrambling along the narrow hilltop edge of the garden. Sandy showed us how to feed them hydrangea flower heads and explained the relationship to the wonderful organic goat cheeses she was serving us.
Further up the hill, we discovered a secret hidden pond complete with a small wooden dock and charming wooden lean-to used for seeking respite.
We all lingered long after our lunches were finished and soaked up this idyll treasure of rural peaceful, romantic life.
Elizabeth Young
