2025 Tour Page
Our 2025 Secret Garden Tour
Held on Friday, June 13, 2025 from 4PM till 8PM
-and-
Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 9AM till 1PM.
Proceeds go toward our Scholarship Program
Tickets are $10 each with youth12 and under free.*
Two Payment Options
Tickets can be purchased through EventBrite!
Anytime before the event, you can log into the EventBrite site and purchase your tickets. Please make sure your email address is correct in your signup as we will be mailing you your “credentials” two days before the tour.
You will receive your tickets (virtually), the electronic version of the map of the 6 gardens as well as the 2 community gardens. Make sure to keep your e-receipt from EventBrite.
Tickets are good for both days and all gardens.
* Note: EventBrite may charge you a convenience fee
on top of the ticket price.
Click here to go to EventBrite’s website
to purchase your e-tickets.
Tickets can be purchased at Lebanon’s Visitor Center
On the day of your visit, you can purchase tickets at the Visitors’ Center located on Lebanon’s Brick Street.
(221 West Saint Louis Street)
You will receive the physical map of how to get to each of our 6 gardens along with 2 community gardens you may wish to add to your adventures.
We will also have the link available to the virtual map, if you so desire to use it.
Tickets are good for both days and all gardens.
Our 2025 Gardens
Garden A
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning” is how this gardener views hers. The house is close to 80 yrs with many flowering trees planted by the original owners, Dr and Mrs. Berry, before the current homeowner moved in 50 years ago. Over time multiple trees have died allowing space and sun for new flowers, shrubs and trees to be planted so color is incorporated throughout the year. A couple of the surviving trees include their “Miracle Tree” – a pink and white dogwood with roots twisted like a pretzel and the “Hope” tree at the northeast corner by the driveways misshapen by two prior cherry trees. Both are dogwoods and still bloom, becoming more beautiful each year.
Notice the weathervane in a flowerpot that was once on top of the cupola until removed secondary to storm damage. It is a doctor, whip, hat, and horses that was Dr. Berry’s. Knowing and honoring the history of the garden along with adding new plantings makes this a special place to explore.
Garden B
The “plant rescuer” could describe this gardener. She frequently rescues plants that others have given up, plants them and now finds them growing and thriving in her gardens. Be sure to check out her husband’s turtle topiary out front before venturing towards the fruit trees and blackberry bushes on the south of the yard leading to the backyard where several gardens have the backdrop of a previous adjoining golf course.
Strolling along the patio, take time to enjoy the quiet cascading water feature surrounded by perennials that ends in a dunking pool at the lower end of the yard.
Blessed by sun and shade, hostas can be found in the shade garden as you ascend the stairs on the north side noting day lilies on the right of the walk.
As you take in the multiple views of this garden, please watch out for aligators.
for someone known as a
“Plant Rescuer”
Garden C
This back garden opens and expands into a spacious area of sun and shade plantings. A long pathway leads from the family entertaining area out past a charming garden shed, across a bridge over a rock -lined dry creek bed and beacons you to explore further through the tree canopy.
Be sure to look at all the different garden sculptures throughout the yard that add interest and help to locate the variety of plants noted in the gardens.
Garden D
These backyard gardens are Japanese inspired with several trees and bushes trimmed in traditional Japanese style, the inclusion of a dry landscape garden with most plantings being evergreen to provide a year-round scenic view through the windows.
The organic vegetable gardens include in-ground, raised beds, and greenhouse to grow a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruits used to make jams, chutneys or sauces. They have even been known to enjoy a New Year’s salad grown in the greenhouse using row covers!
Look at the unique design of the pergola with 90 degree angles with equilateral triangles, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed spite, and a peace pole. Take in the fragrance of the two southern magnolias that bloom throughout the month of June.
Garden E
Limited space or sun for planting? Take ideas from this garden on the different strategies for growing and harvesting a large variety of vegetables and fruits. This gardener largely employs succession and vertical planting strategies growing a larger variety of plants into smaller spaces. Not only is this better for gardeners as they age but significantly improves the gardening experience for people who don’t have tons of space or sunlight available for growing things due to shade cover or buildings blocking the yard.
This strategy couples companion planting, vertical growing, and pruning techniques with raised garden beds to create a rich biodiverse environment that allows one person to casually, consistently harvest food from her backyard. (3) different varieties of potatoes, (2) different varieties of garlic, blackberries, grapes, (3) different varieties of strawberries, celery, carrots, (4) different varieties of tomatoes, (3) different culivars of onions, (3) different varieties of peppers, kale, lettuces, spinach, herbs, pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini and flowers all reside in 7 metal raised beds and 2 Greenstalk vertical systems
Garden F
Ever wonder what the prairie may have looked like long ago? This master naturalist gardener has an area of prairie grass that will help showcase how our landscape may have looked years ago. Though blooming is usually in the late summer and fall, it still has a certain beauty.
Strolling around you will note various tree specimens, a native garden, vegetable garden, and several other gardens with a large variety of native plantings that provide color throughout the season.
Truly worth the drive out to this countryside garden, you will experience a whole new/different perspective on gardening and the beauty mother nature brings into our world.
Additional Gardens
Though not an official part of this year’s garden tour, we invite you to stop by at both the Mermaid House Inn and the Mini Park and just sit awhile.
Both of these wonderful gardens are maintained by the members of the Garden Club of Lebanon year round. They are maintained for the sole purpose of providing a great place to sit, relax, and forget about the world around you while enjoying the wonder that nature (and our gardeners) place before you.
Mermaid Inn
The Mermaid Inn Hotel was built by retired sea caption Lyman Adams and named after the mermaids that he believed in and on many occasions made note of seeing. A simple location, it was one stop of many on the east-west trajectories of weary travelers.
Made famous by a visit from a world-renowned writer, Charles Dickens, who wrote about the Mermaid Inn Hotel in his book, “American Notes”. (See chapter 13.) His group of 14 followers and himself stayed here. Take a virtual tour now, or visit the Mermaid Inn in person. (Contact the Lebanon Historical Society for entry.)
The Gardens
What was once yard, stables, and a sundry of buildings with many purposes – is now a wonderful garden. Take your time, walk in from the street into what a lot of folk don’t know exists.
The gardens are lovingly taken care of by the Garden Club of Lebanon as a group.
Enjoy the quiet tranquility just steps away from a very busy Hwy 50.
Lebanon’s Mini Park
First established by the “Lebanon Beautification Committee” Lebanon’s Mini City Park is quite a comfortable spot to pause and reflect as upon strolling up and down West Saint Louis’ cobble stone street.
A majestic American Holly prominently stands straight and tall in the park’s center along with accompanying town-gathering gazebo where many weddings and other important gatherings have occurred.
Within the park, you will see tall Sugar Maples, Dogwood and Prairie Fire Crabapples, along with a variety of perennials to include Hostas, Purple Cone Flowers, Peonies, Shasta Dasies, Hydrangea, Lillies, Iris, Cannas and yes Milk Weed and Butterfly Bushes for our visiting Monarchs too!.
Expanded Hints Coming!
Stay Tuned!
The Garden Club of Lebanon’s “2025 Secret Garden Tour” is just around the corner.
6 Gardens!
2 Public Gardens!
Ideas galore!
Remember funds from your ticket(s) go to support students from the Lebanon area who are just entering college or trade school. In addition, we give a scholarship to current college sophomores going into their junior year.
Thank you for your support of this most worthwhile project.