Tour 7 gardens in Columbia, including these neighbors who share plants and a mower [photos]

These neighbors share peonies and a mower. When one agreed to be on the Art in the Gardens tour, the neighborly thing was to join the tour, too.

On a quiet street in Columbia, pink peonies bloom next to a black iron fence. Some stretch over the fence and some climb through the fence.

The peonies are on the edge of Althea Ramsay Carrigan's yard yet she's not so possessive of her perennials.

"They’re mine but she takes care of them," Ramsay Carrigan says, nodding at neighbor Caroline McGrath. "So I always say they’re hers."

These neighbors share peonies and a mower. When one agreed to be on the Art in the Gardens tour, the neighborly thing was to join the tour, too. Their gardens are among seven on Create Columbia's tour, planned for Saturday, June 10. In addition to the gardens, each stop will have an artist on site working en plein air.

Since the McGraths moved here in 1995, they’ve made a long list of changes outside.

A patio next to the house has Concord grapevines climbing up and overhead: a living umbrella. Caroline and Marty McGrath liked the wooden structure so much, they replaced it with an exact match. They also added a few more grapevines, even if it takes years to bear fruit.

"Because of the shade, it doesn't produce a lot of grapes," Marty says. "But it's great shade."

Along the other fence line is a border bed mixed with annuals and perennials. The McGraths have done their due diligence to attract hummingbirds.

"We put red things everywhere," Caroline says. "No hummingbirds."

She still fills a red hummingbird feeder, adds plants such as mandevilla and hopes for the best.

Pops of color come from annual flowers plus perennials like azaleas, which just finished blooming. The McGraths have other ways to "break up the green." Birdhouses do just that and provide shelter. A table topped with a floral tablecloth and a flower-filled planter fills in a space along the fence.

A tall sculpture in the backyard has a special meaning. The sculpture is unfinished but the McGraths were drawn to the piece by Edmund Whiting, the artist who made the Penn Square Fountain.

"It's like a tree trunk," Caroline says.

There are markings that look like Arabic but might be something else, Marty says.

"It's also unfinished at the top. We kind of like the fact that it's not complete," he says.

It's a work in progress and the couple named it "Eternity's Echo," dedicating it to their son Patrick who died of natural causes at 19.

Patrick was a fan of "The Gladiator" and added "What we do in life echoes in eternity" to his yearbook at Lancaster Catholic.

On the other side of the fence lives Althea. She's there in part because the McGraths told her about the house for sale next door. She moved there in 2012.

On one side of the house is her favorite spot: a porch that's a cool spot to read. Althea is red-orange colorblind but that didn't stop her from turning it into the red porch.

In the back is a patio perfect for entertaining. Althea has collected antique wrought iron patio furniture and planters from places like Burning Bridge Antique Market and Tollbooth Antiques. Dry brushing each piece with white chalk paint gives a weathered patina and brings the collection together.

Another favorite is a collection of metal armillary spheres. Most of these astronomical models are antique finds and some are DIYs. One hanging from a tree in front of the house is made from hula hoops painted black. The newest one in the backyard is sparkly purple.

Accenting the patio is ivy from a plant growing from the yard, along the carriage house and now over the patio.

What: Art in the Gardens, a tour of seven gardens in Columbia. Each garden will have an artist on site working en plein air. Music will be at Locust Street Park from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The tour is rain or shine.

Benefits: Create Columbia

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 10

Cost: $15. Tickets can be bought at the gazebo in Columbia's Locust Street Park, 560 Locust St. from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, June 10.

More information: facebook.com/createcolumbia

An old fountain is no longer a water feature but filled with succulents that love the sun-drenched spot.

As trees change throughout the property, the space in their shadows evolve. One spot used to be fully shaded. After lightning damaged a tree, the plants below and their gardener are dealing with more sun.

One plant is thriving in the shade. An oakleaf hydrangea shields a sunroom with branches reaching the second floor.

In the backyard is a carriage house and another neighbor. Yes, her garden is on the tour, as well.

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