Mt. Lebanon Library Tour boasts nine lovely landscapes
This year’s Mt. Lebanon Public Library Annual Garden Tour will attract its biggest audience yet – everyone.
“We are calling this tour the tour for everyone,” said Cindy Richey, director of the Mt. Lebanon Library. “It will be remarkable.”
From trains to lakes to outdoor art, this year’s benefit tour, which takes place rain or shine noon-5 p.m. July 7, has an eclectic array of sights in nine stops.
Every garden is located in Mt. Lebanon and is the product of Mt. Lebanon resident gardeners. Among the stops included in the tour are David and Lois Bodnar’s garden, which features a G scale garden railway complete with vintage steam engines that travel through the greenery; the Baer’s Lakemount Drive garden, which will give attendees the opportunity to look at Cedarhurst Manor Lake from its decks; and the garden at Lincoln Elementary School, featuring work done by the students using recycled materials. It’s currently a National Wildlife Federation Certified Backyard Habitat.
Kathleen and William Simpson have been working on their garden for the past 45 years, and with Kathleen’s green thumb – she’s one of the library’s gardeners who helps maintain its award-winning courtyard garden – it’s no surprise that it’s constantly a beautiful work in progress.
“It is one of the best events of the year,” Richey said. “Not just for the library, but for the community.”
Plants will be available for purchase as well, at the library’s Annual Tour Day Plant Sale. Additionally, the Book Cellar section of the library will be open, selling various gardening books to members of the community.
Before the tour begins this year, the Mt. Lebanon Library Annual Garden Party takes place 6-8 p.m. July 6. It will celebrate the gardeners and donors for the library with food, beer and more, and members of the community are also invited to come as well. Tickets are $30, and the proceeds will benefit the library. They can be purchased in advance or at the door.
“This garden tour proves to the community what resources we have, but it also lets people see real gardening and will hopefully leave them feeling inspired and give them the inspiration to want to practice it on their own,” Richey said.
Tickets for the garden tour are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the tour and can be purchased at the library. For more information, call the library at 412-531-1912 or visit www.mtlebanonlibrary.org.