T his weekend, take time to smell the roses — and the lilies, phlox, sage, heath, asters and irises — all while helping feed families in need. The 2014 Brunswick Garden Tour will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, benefiting the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program.
This will be the 12th year the garden tour has taken place, according to tour chairman Ron Carroll, and the eight gardens featured are new to the tour.
“Some people go to appreciate the flowers and so forth,” said Carroll. “Others want to check out the landscaping.”
Among gardens on the tour are those belonging to Michael and Mary Donnelly, who moved to Brunswick last year.
The centerpieces of the Donnellys’ gar- dens are not necessarily their plants, but large stones that stick upright out of the earth and have symbolic value to the couple.
The house, adjacent to the former Higgs Market, now a lock and key shop, had deteriorated beyond hope, according to the Donnellys.
The Donnellys incorporated the stones into their growing gardens, in part, as a reminder of the old neighborhood.
The stones in front of the house are arranged in a circle, with eight points representing the points of the compass. The Donnellys said they love New England weather and its changing seasons, and the stones help represent that.
They also serve as a reminder of the Donnellys Irish lineage.
In the backyard are five upright stones arranged together, representing Michael and Mary’s children and their families.
The stones are of various heights, the tallest being 11 feet, according to Michael Donnelly. The different heights, he said, represent all the “ups and downs” that come with family life.
“There’s so much meaning to their garden,” said Carroll.
Michael Donnelly said he wasn’t interested in having his gardens on this year’s tour, but quickly changed his mind when he learned who would benefit.
Last year, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program served nearly 38,000 lunches in its soup kitchen, and serviced 1,209 households through its food pantry, among other activities. This year, the program is expanding programs aimed at children.
The tour has no overhead and all proceeds will benefit MCHPP, said Carroll. Past tours have raised about $3,000.
For more information on the tour, call (207) 725-6558.
jswinconeck@timesrecord.com
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