BELFAST — The Belfast Garden Club’s Friday, July 9 Open Garden Day will feature three distinct garden areas at the home of Sherri Klostermann. The garden, located at 76 Bayview Street, will open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine. A $5 donation is requested to sustain club operations, with any additional support welcomed.
The first garden area visible to visitors is Klostermann’s tidy front yard enclosed by a white picket fence and bursting with perennials such as echinacea, Russian sage, asters, alliums, butterfly bush, delphiniums, and phlox. When she bought her home in 2016, she said she wanted to have hardy perennial flowers everywhere, and not have to worry about fertilizing the grass. Adjacent to the right is another flower garden with both perennial and annuals such as snapdragons, Calendula, spring tulips and cosmos, to name a few.
Granite steps lead down to a side garden with a fieldstone path and Johnny-jump-ups interspersed between steps. Honeysuckle vines wrap around a cedar pergola situated with views of the bay. “I plan to use this area for early evening glasses of wine and cheese, amid beautiful sunsets,” she said.
Wanting to create a sustainable garden, last year Klostermann said she planted a mini-orchard in her backyard with apple, peach, pears, and plum fruit trees. She also grows organic vegetables such as corn, squash, potatoes, pole beans, and broccoli in several raised beds without the use of pesticides.
To round out her garden area, Klostermann has an expansive deck facing the bay with tables, chairs and a built-in bar. A brick path leads to another patio seating area below which also encompasses a brick patio and fire pit designed for parties and informal get togethers. The biggest challenge to her garden, Klostermann said with a smile, was finding a gardener.
The Belfast Garden Club has promoted public gardens and stimulated the knowledge and love of gardening for more than 90 years. Proceeds from fundraising support local public gardens and several scholarship funds. For more, visit BelfastGardenClub.org.