Submitted by Carol Goggi
Six home gardens were the stars of the Mountainside Restoration Committee’s “Tour of Mountainside’s Gardens” held on Saturday, June 9, 2018, This Garden Tour was the third Biennial Tour of its kind and had been extremely popular. Dozens of guests leisurely visited each of the private gardens on a spectacular sunny Saturday. Visitors gained ideas and inspiration for their own home gardens. Many of the visitors also enjoyed a special Garden Tour lunch provided by The Publick House of Mountainside.
Each of the six gardens were specifically themed and featured uniquely decorated tablescapes, raffles, a boutique, special displays and refreshments. These homeowners are meticulous about their yards and have worked very hard to assure the grounds were at their peak of loveliness for this tour. Gardens included a Georgian Pond Garden, a Wood’s Edge Garden featuring a basket raffle, a Cottage Garden featuring chicken plop bingo, a Southwest Contemporary Garden featuring a garden boutique, the Step-Up Garden and a Pool Party Garden.
As visitors went from garden to garden, they discussed their favorite aspects of each garden – from the exotic cactus and succulents in the Southwest Contemporary Garden, to the traditional gardens at the stately 19th century Georgian Colonial, to the inviting poolside gardens, to the lush garden on the hillside, to the colorful and wooded garden at the edge of the Watchung Reservation, and the friendly chickens at the Cottage Garden ready to select winners of the chicken plop bingo game. The variety and beauty was abundant.
The Mountainside Restoration Committee is thankful to the tour sponsors and donors including A.P. Mazzilli Landscape Contractors, Rhapsody Computer Subscription Services, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Dreyer Farms, Christoffers Flower and Gift Shop, Ferraro’s of Westfield, Bovella’s of Westfield, Mazzella’s of Mountainside Gourmet Market, Publick House of Mountainside, Jeff Houston Electrical and Cardinal Garden Center.
Proceeds from the tour and lunch will be used by the Mountainside Restoration Committee for restoration and maintenance of the historic Hetfield and Levi Cory houses. The Mountainside Restoration Committee (also known as the Mountainside Historic Committee) is a 501(c)(3) registered not-for-profit committee of volunteers whose purpose is to restore and maintain the Deacon Andrew Hetfield and Levi Cory Houses and collect and save historic information and items from destruction. For further information, please call (908)789-9420 or go to www.mountainsidehistory.org
The Georgian Pond Garden
The Step-Up Garden
The Wood’s Edge Garden
The Contemporary Southwest Garden
The Cottage Garden
The Pool Party Garden Mountainside Restoration Committee, Inc.
