The 10th Annual Southern Butler County Garden Club's Garden Tour this year will feature the addition of the Plein Air Artists (artists who paint in open air at a specific setting).

Rose Romboski of Cranberry Township is a chairman for the 2018 tour set for July 14 and was instrumental in incorporating the painters.

“The idea of artists in the gardens came about when I was speaking with our club co-president Rita Mack last fall. I wanted to add a new, creative element to the tour this year, and she suggested I speak with an artist in the Cranberry Artists Network,” Romboski said.

A conversation with Mary Jane Hadley led to the decision of featuring Plein Air Artists in the gardens.

“'Art in Bloom' was born. It's a perfect friendship, bringing art and the gardens together for the community to enjoy and experience,” said Romboski.

“Art and gardening definitely go hand in hand. Each is a creative expression of what one is feeling, experiencing, sensing about one's surroundings,” she said.

“With art, the artist re-creates the beauty that surrounds them by capturing a moment in time that we can enjoy long after the flowers have faded, and the garden is put to bed,” said Romboski.

Two artists will be stationed at each garden stop, set up in different locations for a different perspective of the landscape. Each artist will attempt to capture the beauty of their surroundings. Throughout the day, tour attendees will have a different perspective of the paintings as they come to life.

The works will be for sale but not on the day of the event.

“The Plein Air Art Show will be Oct. 4 through Nov. 7 in the Back Hall Gallery of the Cranberry Township Municipal Center. Art included will be from the garden tour, as well as other places the Cranberry Artists Network artists have painted this summer,” Romboski said.

The garden tour is the Southern Butler County Garden Club's only fundraiser. The money raised contributes to a variety of community service projects.

“We recently partnered with Cranberry Township to develop and maintain a new garden. The Community Garden at Graham Park was part of the 2017 Project of the Year in conjunction with the development of several sports courts,” said Romboski.

“This garden project is an effort to help beautify and educate the community of the importance of gardening and Southern Butler County Garden Club is the proud caretaker,” she added.

The 10th anniversary tour features six unique area gardens.

“The English Garden of our club member, Linda Johnson, is a beautiful place. Linda is a native of London and has incorporated all the beauty of an English garden in her property,” said Karen Faust, committee chair of the event.

Garden Spotlight

One of the featured gardens is the creation of Linda and Karl Johnson at 403 Hastings Drive, Cranberry Township. The Johnson family moved into their newly built home in July 1995 when their children were very young.

“For years, our garden was a place for catching fireflies, playing hide and seek, swinging, trampolining and sledding. It has evolved as our family interests and needs have changed and with no master plan,” said Linda Thompson.

The Thompsons have done all the work themselves. Their garden features 12 focal points including an herb garden, several arbors, a vegetable garden and more.

Thompson hails from the mild climate of London and learned to love flower gardening from her mother. She is a member of South Butler Garden Club and a Penn State Master Gardener.

Karl Thompson is from the hot, desert climate of St. George, Utah, and a chemical engineering professor at Pitt who learned to appreciate vegetable gardening from his father.

Linda Thompson joined the garden club a few years ago and began attending all its garden tours.

“I always found it enjoyable and helpful to see what other people do. It seemed like a public spirited thing to participate myself,” said Johnson.

“Gardening is a national pastime in England. My mother always loved to garden, and I credit her with my interest. I think she found it very relaxing to work outside,” she said.

“My mother is in her 88th year and still gardening,” Johnson said.

“At some point, when our children were teenagers, my English genes kicked in. There is a Scripture that sums up my feelings perfectly. 'All things which come of the Earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart.' I feel that working in the garden is very peaceful. It centers and relaxes me. It's also a wonderful creative outlet,” she said.

She also sees gardening is also an intellectual challenge in problem solving.

“Every year is different. You think that you have finally solved a problem and then the weather changes, we have a longer or shorter winter, it rains more or less, a different variety of critter comes into your yard and eats things, or the ones you've seen for years eat something they have never touched before, or there is a wilt, or blight, or insects, the list goes on and on,” she said.

Every year from 2009 onwards the Johnsons added a different feature their landscape.

“There was no grand scheme. These ideas came in various ways: as I walked the dog around the yard in the winter, at different gardening classes, looking at books and magazines, looking for ideas online, or seeing someone else's garden. We will have a video playing showing the development of the garden over the years,” she said.

WHAT: The Southern Butler County Garden Club 10th Annual Garden TourWHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 14WHERE: Start from 9 to 10 a.m. at 2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township, for registration and tickets. TICKETS: $20 presale by mail: Send checks payable to: Southern Butler County Garden Club, P.O. Box 2446, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 with self-addressed stamped envelope. Or purchase the day of the event for $25