Jerome’s Garden Tour
Quaint backyards hide behind Jerome’s historic facades. Some of these sanctuaries will be showcased as part of the annual Jerome Garden Tour.
When Karen Cheifetz and her husband bought their second home in Jerome, they didn’t know it had once been the Rose Garden Bed and Breakfast. But over a period of several years, they excavated 17 wild species of roses and incorporated them into a Zen-like setting with a waterfall, Buddha and gargoyles.
Their next-door neighbors did some reclaiming of their own. When they started digging their garden, they were surprised to find blue glass—so much of it that they now think that the property must have been a gallery or glass shop in its earlier years. Some of the glass has been used to make decorative garden features.
Both of these verdant backyards are on this year’s Jerome Garden Tour, which encompasses nine different stops, including hideaways overflowing with flowers, recaptured artifacts given a second life and contemporary interpretations of historic gardens. Many of the sites are still evolving, and they feature the kind of variety that gives Jerome its eclectic appeal.
The tour will proceed downhill from the first stop—The Surgeon’s House Bed and Breakfast, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1916 home once belonged to the town’s chief surgeon. Its present owner ascribes to a philosophy of “gardening by profusion.” “Plant more flowers; they crowd out the weeds or at least you don’t see them,” laughs Andrea Prince.
Prince and the other garden owners will be on hand to discuss their trees, shrubs and flowers. There are also magnificent vistas along the way. At the conclusion of the walk, just past the final garden, there will be items for sale, including cultivated plants, fused glass and jewelry.
The walking tour (which covers about ½-mile) is self-guided and can be as leisurely or brisk as individuals prefer. Unfortunately, because it involves steps, the tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets for the Jerome Garden Tour are $12 each and include a bottle of water, a map and an informative companion guide. They will be available on the day of the event in the park on Main Street, across from Paul and Jerry’s Saloon and the Mine Museum Gift Shop.
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