Explore Mother Nature in sites, smells, sounds and tastes at Secret Garden Tour & Party

Some of Murfreesboro's most beautiful backyard gems will be spotlighted on the 30th Discovery Center Secret Garden Tour and Secret Garden Party this weekend.

In honor of the Discovery Center museum's 35th year, the weekend kicks off with "A Gilded Evening in the Gardens of Versailles" at 7 p.m. Friday, June 3, at the home of Sharon and Dr. Murali Kolli in Northwoods Cove. There will be a live auction, open bar, music and catering by Five Senses. Cost is $100 per person. Purchase online at explorethedc.org/events/sgp.

The Secret Garden Tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4, and 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 5, at four area gardens. Tickets for the tour are $10 per person and can be purchased online at explorethedc.org/events/sgt2022.

Here's a look at the enchanting gardens on the tour.

A river runs through it

At the edge of the Stones River in the Riverbend subdivision, Mardi and Earl Hull, 2120 Londonderry Drive, have created an enchanting backyard that features beds of foliage, fountains and interesting garden statues.

When the Hulls moved to their Riverbend home, there was very little landscaping and behind their home was a dense woods. Over the years they've added to it, including a stone pathway that leads to the river's edge, where Earl Hull does a bit of angling from time to time.

Masters at gardening

The Rutherford Master Gardener Community Garden, Lane-Agri Park, 315 John Rice Blvd.

Members of the Master Gardeners of Rutherford County, an all volunteer organization of UT/TSU Ag Extension, will be on hand at the demonstration gardens. There are multiple areas of interest, including a butterfly garden, compost bins, herb garden, mushroom bed, small fruits, perennials, rain garden and vegetable garden. There is even a vineyard that is managed in partnership with the MTSU Fermentation Sciences Department.

A native habitat

Janice and Reggie Reeves, 2204 Alydar Run

In a process that has taken 10 years, Master Gardener Reggie Reeves and his wife, Janice Reeves, have transformed what was once a hay field into a tree-dappled lawn.

The Reeves place emphasis on native trees, shrubs and flowers to benefit bees, birds and butterflies. You'll find witch hazel, a Shoal Creek chaste tree for bees, spice bush and persimmon for swallowtail butterflies, and Red Buckeye for hummingbirds.

Native flowers such as bee balm, coreopsis, and coneflower are also spread about in beds to provide pollen and seeds. Coralberry and American beautyberry bushes produce berries favored by the birds. Reggie participates in plant swaps to acquire many of the unique plants found throughout the gardens.

The Reeves cultivate an organic garden grown in raised beds. There's a small greenhouse as well as a fruit orchard with berry and grape vines.

A large field behind the home features native wildflowers favored by the bees, birds and butterflies. Reggie mows a walking trail that leads to the banks of Lytle Creek, so bring your walking shoes and enjoy a stroll down to the water.

Environmentally friendly

Katherine and Richard Spry, 2414 Spaulding Circle

Unconventional, environmentally friendly and organic gardening practices are in play at the home of Katherine and Richard Spry.

Visit their blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry patches. Admire fig trees and raised beds of various sizes and shapes where they are growing spinach, kale, onions, garlic, collards, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, oregano, and pollinator friendly flowers. Learn about their use of reclaimed materials to enhance their gardening.

The couple will also talk about the "uncut" areas of their property where they are trying to grow native plants. Their bountiful yard is also designated a “Tree Sanctuary” by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.

Visitors can also learn about the rainwater collection system that has five rain barrels and overflow collection. Learn about composting options you can implement in your own garden.

You can also wander through the shaded Tree Stump garden, the Peace Pole Garden and sunny Pine Stump garden. Get an impromptu education on edible weeds like Philadelphia fleabane, lyreleaf sage, ground-ivy, wild geranium and henbit growing in the drainage ditch, the lawn, and in the flower gardens.

You'll also find a collection of electric gardening tools: battery operated hedge trimmers, push mower, riding mower, weed eater and chainsaw. They use no gas-powered equipment.

On your way back to check out books at the Little Free Library post, you can walk through the wildflower meadow and then try your luck on the golf course winding through the trees and gardens. You might even encounter some of the native inhabitants like birds, squirrels and rabbits.

Discovery Center benefits

Proceeds benefit the Discovery Center, 502 S.E. Broad St., a hands-on science museum that features interactive exhibits, educational programs and outdoor experiences at the adjacent Murfree Spring Wetland and boardwalk.

Now in it's 35th year, Discovery Center was chartered in 1986 as Children’s Museum Corporation of Rutherford County after an extensive grassroots campaign orchestrated by young parents led to purchasing a building and creating exhibits and programs.  Thousands of families have enjoyed interactive learning and play since its inception.

Visit explorethedc.org to learn more about admission, exhibits and programs, or call 615-890-2300.

Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com. Keep up with restaurant news by joining Good Eats in the 'Boro (and beyond) on Facebook and follow Murfreesboro Eats on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Discovery Center Secret Garden Tour & Party: What you need to know