Jul 3, 2014 3 min read

In a gardener’s mind, all gardens are enchanting, no matter what the style, theme or design. The July 13 Mt. Lebanon Library Garden Tour offers six gardens all made enchanted by the gardeners who enjoy their outdoor surroundings. The 24th Annual Tour has shady rests and sunny slopes with thousands of perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs of all sizes and shapes offering creative ideas to the new gardener and seasoned professional alike. All the gardens are in Mt. Lebanon and all the products of Mt. Lebanon resident gardeners willing to share their experiences in order to support Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

The gardeners include:

• Helene and Regis McQuaide, White Oak Circle – The property has a compelling story of rebirth after the McQuaides’ home was destroyed by fire in 2011. The resulting outdoor space has extended the living area with a charming landscaped hillside slope and raised vegetable garden.

• Bob and Marina Lauver, Roycroft Avenue – The couple transformed their sloped backyard after taking a landscape course focusing on their desire for garden rooms and water features with limited maintenance requirements.

• Susan Gove and John Davis, Moreland Drive – Susan and John purchased their home based almost entirely on the potential of the outdoor space.

• Michele Bamburak, Beverly Road – This homeowner shares her enchanted garden with walkers who give her inspiration, confirming her conclusion that the reason she gardens is to bring delight to others as well as herself.

• The Flanegin’s, Park Entrance – What to do with those Mt. Lebanon steep terraces has been addressed by the couple’s garden.

• Stacey and Andy Rhodes, Nakoma Drive – The Rhodes’ garden surrounds and complements the architecture of their stone home.

All the gardens featured will help the tour-goers feel the enchantment that only the joys of gardening in your own space can bring.

Tour-goers are also invited to visit the Gardeners’ Courtyard Garden at the rear of the library. The space is a certified wildlife habitat and a peaceful extension of the library where patrons can read, study or just appreciate the beauty that a well-planned and maintained garden provides. The winning garden in the 2012 Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Contest for Medium Size Gardens, the garden showcases native shrubs and trees, grown using only organic gardening techniques.

Another popular feature of the tour is the Annual Plant Sale, featuring a wide selection of perennials at deeply discounted prices. The Library’s bookshop, The Book Cellar, will be open and all tour ticket holders will receive a $5 coupon good on any media purchase that day only.

To get in the enchantment mood, plan on attending the Library Courtyard Garden Party the evening before the tour, from 6-8 p.m. Proceeds from both the tour and party go directly to the support of Mt. Lebanon Public Library.