On March 29, 2025, the Romeo District Library unveiled their long-awaited Community Seed Library at the Graubner Branch. While this was a momentous occasion, it wasn't the only time the library has been involved with something gardening-related.
Starting in 1995, the Friends of the Romeo District Library (RDL) sponsored an annual garden walk around the Romeo area. The tour consisted of private and public gardens that people could walk through and inquire about tips to improve their own gardening. Owners of individual gardens were available to answer questions from the garden walk participants. By the time of the third annual garden walk in 1997, they had a "master gardener on hand at each garden to provide more detailed advice."
They were the biggest fundraisers for the Friends of the RDL of the year. Proceeds went to various projects that supported the library or promoted reading.
Over the years, these tours featured some stunning gardens, including the one seen here. Taken by Karen Hamilton for the front page of the August 6, 1997 issue of The Romeo Observer, it shows Diane Jesmore in a Victorianesque garden with a fountain at her home on Sisson Street. Her garden was on Friends of the Romeo District Library Garden Walk that year.
According to the article written by Kirk Haverkamp, the Victorianesque garden was "laid out in a geometric, symmetrical pattern with a wrought iron fountain in the center and [featured] both annuals and perennials."
Haverkamp also added that the entrance to the Jesmore garden was through one of three wrought iron rose arbors adorned with the Seven Sisters roses, which were grown from a rootstock over 100 years ago.
Diane claimed that she got her love of gardening from her grandmother, a skilled horticulturalist "who created her own hybrids of roses and other plants, in addition to raising carrier pigeons and other pursuits."
The Friends of the RDL continued to sponsor these garden walks until around 2017. The Romeo and Juliet Garden Club took over in 2022.
Meanwhile, the Romeo District Library Collection at the Romeo Community Archives houses items from these garden walks. These include tickets, information sheets, newspaper articles, flyers, and tour maps.
Make sure to get some seeds from the Community Seed Library, so your garden can be on a future garden walk.
To learn more about Friends of the Romeo District Library Garden Walks, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890.
Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection, The Romeo Observer, August 6, 1997, p.1-A and p.2-A; The Record, July 6-12, 2022, p.10; and the Romeo District Library Collection
