LEWES, Del. - On the third Saturday of June every year, homeowners in Lewes open their gardens up to the public for one day only. Each stop on the annual Lewes Garden Tour has something unique to share with visitors. "There's plenty to see. The annuals are just starting to bloom," says Lewes Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Betsy Reamer. The Vessel's family started this event 29 years ago. "Jack and Mickey Vessels and Jack's sister Mary, all involved with the chamber, decided to share the hidden gardens of Lewes," says Reamer.
Reamer says a lot of the homes in Lewes' historic district of Lewes are close to the road and most of their property and gardens are hidden from the streets. Thanks to this tour, people can venture to these gardens by foot and by shuttle. Joann and Ed Domkowski have lived in Lewes for a few years and they love finding events like this that make them feel like part of the community. "It's right in our backyard and we're just starting to explore it now," says Joann.
The tour stops at different gardens every year to keep things new and fresh for those who've been on it before. "They wouldn't have seen these gardens if they were on a few years ago," says Reamer.
Steve and Betty Rogers initially put a garden in behind their home on Gills Neck Road for more privacy from the bike trail. Steve says they've been prepping for the garden tour since March, but this isn't their first time on the map. "I had a house on Market Street back in 2010 and I was on the garden tour there," he says.
Rogers says they chose some plants to form a wall in front of the trail, but also some to keep their yard beautiful throughout the year. "We do have a lot of perennials and they'll be gone over the winter, but we also have a lot of evergreens," he says.
The Lewes Garden Tour was originally a fundraiser for Friends of the Fisher Martin House. Since the group disbanded, the chamber has used the funds to offset operating expenses and to hold events.