Holmes Garden Tour delights and supports a good cause

The Holmes County Garden Tour will provide an opportunity to visit a quartet of beautiful gardens while helping out a good cause.

The tour is scheduled for July 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain date is July 2 from 1 to 5 p.m.

The four stops along the Garden Tour are at the homes of Richard and Elaine Troyer and John R. and Ruth Chupp of Sugarcreek, and Bill and Lisa Pim and Brian and Saraetta Raber of Millersburg.

Tickets are $20 per person and were available as of June 5 at Rodhe’s IGA in Millersburg and at Commercial & Savings Bank in Walnut Creek. Tickets will also be available at each garden on the day of the tour.

The tour is sponsored by Holmes County Friends and Neighbors of OneEighty. Proceeds will go to OneEighty’s Julia Place, a shelter and therapeutic services for victims of domestic violence and rape. Tickets are also available on the OneEighty website.

Event coordinator Ruth Waltman shares her insight about each of the stops:

Troyers

4349 Township Road 422, Sugarcreek

The Troyers' yard is one of gardens featuring flower beds all around the house, along the drive and are terraced and edged with flat stones and foundation stones. While the backyard is framed by a sizable flower and shrub bed, another large bed of flowers is found in the middle of the backyard with winding stone paths throughout.

Beautiful and unusual trees are included around the house and within the flower beds, including weeping beech, tricolor beech, blood good maple and weeping larch. Shrubs include smoke bush, hydrangeas, nine bark and viburnum.

"Be sure to look for the perennial sunflower that grows 4 to 5 feet tall and attracts butterflies, bush clover, hellebore, and lupine plants," Waltman said. "Hostas are well placed in a shady area. You will also see potted annuals. Ask Elaine about her secret to filling those tall planters without using a large amount of potting soil."

Chupps

1952 Township Road 444, Sugarcreek

In these orchards and gardens edged with stone walls, you will see many beautiful flowering plants and shrubs, vegetable plants and fruit trees. There are shade areas and sun areas, and all annuals are in one spot.

"Ruth has 150 different hostas, all named and marked," Waltman said. "Under the pin oak are mini hostas, including the Mouse series. Some other hosta series are Touch of Class, Ivory Coast and Forbidden Fruit. Garden beds contain autumn brilliance and Japanese painted ferns; Betty Coring clematis and others; needle leaf coreopsis; blue beard, also called blue mist shrub; Lenten rose hellebore; blue mist, and false indigo baptisia.

"The hydrangeas were all started from root cuttings by Ruth," Waltman continued. "There are raised beds with vegetables and herbs, as well as a starting garden for cannas and dahlias. More flowers are planted on another side of the house — viburnum, acanthus bear’s breeches that grows 4 to 5 feet tall, and amsonia, which is a small, round, blue flowering perennial that stays round, low and doesn’t require dividing."

Trees at the Chupps include crabapple, dogwood and serviceberry. Espalier apple trees were planted to form a tasteful hedge between the neighbors’ yard and theirs.

"Take time to visit the orchard across the road to see blueberries, apple, pear and cherry trees," Waltman said. "If you like to garden you will certainly appreciate a visit to the Chupps'."

Pims

10936 Township Road 262, Millersburg

Waltman suggests this is where you will want to take a moment to breathe deeply and relax. The driveway back to the Pims' house begins with flower beds and is lined with flowering trees. Trees including apple, redwoods, Princeton gold and Princeton kings are found in an orchard beyond the driveway.

There is an area of wildflowers and giant and regular sunflowers bloom along with hostas and four hydrangea trees. Hanging baskets and potted plants adorn the front of the house and the porch. Lava rock is used in place of mulch. The flower beds around the house and throughout the yard contain unique pieces of wood and rock.

"Bill loves to search for unusual natural pieces of fallen trees that are local and from as far away as Montana," Waltman said. "Look for the uncommon stones placed in the flower beds, such as turquoise, zebra rocks and a dixie pink stone from Stone Creations in Mansfield."

In the back of the house is a stunning 120-foot water feature with 10 lighted waterfalls that begins just below the deck and cascades down through the yard to the lake.

"Look out at the lake, which is edged all around with stone," Waltman said. "Be sure to look for the lighthouse on the island. You are welcome to sit on the beach and enjoy the view; spend some time by the lake, swing on the swing, eat your picnic lunch or rest in the campfire area.

"During your visit, Bill and Lisa want you to enjoy their special corner of Holmes County as much as they do," she added.

Rabers

5828 Township Road 336, Millersburg

The Rabers live at the end of a secluded neighborhood. Their home and gardens are wedged in a corner lot surrounded by trees with a ravine running behind it where their children like to play in the creek.

In early spring, 400 tulip bulbs are planted in the bank by the drive, which is bordered by a wall using fence board in a chevron pattern, making it stand out.

Now you will find annual cut flowers and vegetables planted there, surrounded by wildflowers. The flower beds around the house and in the yard are filled with allium, bellflowers, hostas and a tree hydrangea.

"Saraetta likes to plant annuals using a color theme," Waltman said. "This year she chose purple, yellow and white. Enjoy these lovely gardens just outside of Millersburg."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Holmes Ohio Garden Tour will delight visitors, support a good cause