Saturday, May 10th: 1pm-4pm
A trolley shuttle will be making a continuous loop during the hours of the tour.
This tour is self-guided.
The Colonial House
6563 1/2 Washington Street
The Greater Cape May Historical Society manages the Memucan Hughes Colonial House Garden. The Garden Club of Cape May is responsible for designing and maintaining the garden. The plantings include authentic colonial plants used for teas, cooking, and medicine. Early colonists used yarrow for digestion, chamomile for colds and inflammation, sage as an antibiotic and antiseptic, and angelica historically for curing bubonic plague. The Colonial House opens for the summer season on June 15. Tours are available each Wednesday through Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM until September 15th.
The Lovitz Residence
1012 Cape May Avenue, Cape May
Evelyn Lovitz welcomes you to her garden, a wildlife-friendly garden comprised of trees, bushes and perennials that attract, feed and protect wildlife. Evelyn chooses to grow these plants to enjoy beautiful, hardy plants, to save time and money, to bring in birds and butterflies and to improve water quality. You will see mostly South Jersey native herbaceous plants shrubs and trees here. The sedum (non-native) are covered in butterflies in late summer. In back on the left of the yard are water-loving shrubs. This was a very wet area when Evelyn created this bed, and now the plants address that problem, soaking up the water. There are two ponds: one is a moving pond for the birds and the other is a still pond for dragonflies.
The Orem Residence
701 Columbia Avenue, Cape May
This block of Columbia Avenue was built in the “Cottage Era” of Cape May. During World War I, the home was operated by the owner and her daughter as a tea house, with proceeds devoted to war relief. The home was painted white with red and blue accents, including flowers. More recently, the current owners have had two daughters’ post wedding brunches at the home. The landscape is traditional Victorian with roses, hydrangeas and boxwood, with mostly white (weddings) perennials and annuals. You will notice a touch of blue and light pink as well. On the garage rooftop there are two large garden boxes containing herbs and vegetables. The owner is an active member of the Garden Club of America, Darien, CT chapter.
The Ruzzi Residence
1342 Vermont Avenue, Cape May
This hidden gem of a garden not only includes many annuals and perennials, but also some plants not often seen in Cape May. Come see the fig trees and Italian persimmons along with the full herb and vegetable garden. Make sure to take a moment and see the unique Japanese fan tail willow tree!
The Emlen Physick Estaet
1048 Washington Street
Tour six different gardens on the grounds of Cape May’s only Victorian house museum.
OVAL GARDEN: 700 colorful annuals of multi-colored snapdragons, marigolds, white vinca and red cardinal salvia flower for Summer.
HERB GARDEN: Ornamental and culinary herbs thrive throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall seasons.
FRED AND SARITA KUHNER MEMORIAL SHADE GARDEN: Enjoy a refreshing retreat on a hot summer’s day among the fountain, hydrangeas, hostas, lilies of the valley, ferns, rhododendrons and holly trees.
ELVIRA TURANO MEMORIAL GARDEN: Featuring a fountain and benches that beckon guests to enjoy a respite among ferns, hollyhocks, hellebores and two fig trees.
POLLINATOR GARDEN: Made up of a collection of native plants designed to create a habitat for butterflies. The intention of this garden is to showcase plants that people can use in their own garden to attract and support butterflies.
