Hanover Garden Club

08/17/2026

Members of the Hanover Garden Club enjoyed a beautiful day expanding their knowledge of how grapes are grown to make wine by visiting Thunder Ridge Vineyards, a a small boutique family farm winery in Spring Grove, PA, owned by Joe and Amy Zill.

Joe, our passionate and committed guide, started the tour in the vineyards, describing how they grow and nurture an eclectic mix of over 40 grape varieties and fruits on site which they use to create their small-batch wines.

Maintaining about 2,600 vines is no easy task! We learned about the hard work involved throughout the year to keep them happy and producing quality grapes. When processing time comes, it's full speed ahead with all hands on deck and no time to waste to get the ingredients and levels just right for each batch. As Joe commented, "It's all about the chemistry."

He then took us inside to see the process of how they turn the harvested grapes into wine, step by step. Lots to do and see!

To make the visit even more enjoyable, we lunched on delicious brick-oven pizzas, baked by Joe with dough that Amy makes. What a family production all around!

Thank you, Joe and Amy, for showing us from beginning to end what it takes to own and run a winery. We appreciate that glass of wine even more now!😊

08/11/2026

Congratulations to our August "Garden of the Month" award winner, Lisa Titus, of 306 E. Walnut St., Hanover.

This month, we celebrate the small gardens that make a big impact!

Lisa's grandmother loved to plant, and she had a special fondness for roses. She had a green thumb, and everyone tells Lisa she has a green thumb, so she thinks that love of gardening and talent to be successful with it began with that grandmother. Her desire to plant and nurture grew and grew as time went by until she realized she just loved it! She landscaped and planted at all of her previous homes where she had lots of room and large gardens.

Having decided it was time to downsize, she moved into her current home about a year and a half ago. There was lots to do to get the gardens and backyard in the format and condition she desired, including removing old trees that were on their way out and digging up existing plants and shrubs to carry out her own ideas for the property. We all know that it is the front of the house that makes the biggest impact on the public passing by, so though the area is small in size, she was able to create this charming front garden which enhances the unique appeal of her adorable Victorian home.

Lisa also has a green thumb with being able to grow and nurture houseplants, and beautiful ones thrive in every nook and cranny of each and every room inside her home, bringing life and vitality wherever you look. The commitment to growing so many houseplants is like having a whole other huge garden to maintain, but her green thumb makes it happen!

Even though she admits to never having had any formal training or guidance on planting gardens, and experiencing the highs and lows of the "learning by doing" that all gardeners face, she said it's an important part of her life because "it grounds me"--releasing a hearty laugh when she realized her choice of words--but what better way to describe a gardener's love of getting down and dirty!😁

Thank you, Lisa, for beautifying your corner of the neighborhood for all to enjoy!

07/25/2026

“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece” ~ Claude Monet

The sun is out and the day is BEAUTIFUL 😍.

We want to see your garden blooms, fruits, veggies, visitors and helpers!

Drop your pictures in the comment section! Toot your own horn and spread the love of your garden!!!

07/14/2026

Congratulations to our July "Garden of the Month" award winner, Cindy Wolf, of 111 Timber Lane, Hanover.

Cindy's grandmother always had flower and vegetable gardens, and she thinks her love of gardening came from that grandmother. Once she was bitten by the bug, her desire to create and nurture grew and grew. As Cindy got older and started her own gardens, they would trade plants back and forth, and now she remembers her with a treasured memory garden containing her grandmother's plants.

She and her husband bought their house in 1991 at the dawn of the development. They were surrounded by dirt lots and not a lot of homes. The heavy clay needed lots of amending, and existing trees and shrubs were then added, changed and refined over the years to what exists today. They created the small vignette gardens dotting the property as her desire for more flowers and plants grew..."just a little more space"...over and over.😁 At this point, her husband is happy to be the helper, offering feedback and encouragement along the way.

Daylilies are a particular passion of hers, adding beautiful specialty varieties throughout her gardens. She believes she was born to grow and garden, and she still goes full steam ahead! Obviously, she has put her talents to good use.

Thank you, Cindy, for beautifying your corner of the neighborhood for all to enjoy!

07/10/2026

Members of the Hanover Garden Club had a wonderful day filled with awe, information, education and surprises at every turn as we were given a private tour of the magnificent gardens of Dr. Kevin Kelly, a retired physician in Harrisburg.

Over the course of 30 years, he has designed, planted, maintained and continually refined the gardens on his one-third acre suburban property with no help. Living through the trials and adjustments all gardeners face, the result is a landscape that is ecologically rich, visually compelling, and welcoming to both humans and wildlife.

Thank you, Dr. Kelly, for generously sharing your time, talents and knowledge with us. Your gardens are a sight to behold!

06/23/2026

Members of the Hanover Garden Club had a picture perfect day to explore all the festivities at Castle Creek Farm's Lavender Thyme Faire in Dillsburg, PA.
It featured gardens, animals, exhibitors, speakers, vendors, plein air painters and ALL things lavender to see, purchase, eat and drink! From lavender lemonade and cookies to lavender ice cream and bread, we enjoyed every bite and took some home for later!
We learned helpful tips about growing all kinds of herbs, and we were thrilled to see the honey bees loving the day as much as we did, enjoying their own taste of lavender that was grown on the hillside.
A sunny, calm, peaceful day on the farm...just what the doctor ordered!

06/18/2026

🌹 Tuesday was a delightful celebration at our annual end-of-year Rose Luncheon! It was a day filled with accomplishments, laughter, and the joy of simply being together. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to Ruthanne Lillis and the entire Rose Luncheon committee, along with Highland Taps & Tables, for orchestrating such a fantastic event. Everything was just perfect, from the stunning arrangements to the delicious food and the welcoming space. A huge shoutout to our talented photographers, Victoria Curry and Bobby Lillis, for capturing these cherished memories. Thank you all for making this day so special! 🌸

06/16/2026

What an incredible ECO event we just had! We were thrilled to share seeds with over 150 enthusiastic participants, spreading the joy of growth and sustainability. A huge shoutout to our amazing volunteers—Heidi Kozak, Diane Wensel, Megahn Rineman, Lynne Thompson, Eileen Kindig, Donna Davis, and Tammy Myers—whose dedication and passion made this unforgettable day possible. Your hard work truly means the world to us!
The Purple Bean Vine seeds stole the spotlight, captivating everyone with their unique look and sparking curiosity. Thankfully, the storms held off for us, letting us enjoy a beautiful, albeit extremely hot weekend. Here is to more inspiring moments like this! 🌱💚

06/09/2026

Do not forget, The Hanover Garden Club will be Codorus State Park for the ECO event this Saturday and Sunday (June 13th and 14th)! Visit our tent, by the crafts area. Look for Acorn Acres, the Reptiles, the Bug Man, and the Chestnut Foundation! This is a magnificent event for the whole family! Visit the event website for more information: https://www.codorusfriends.org/eco.html . See you there!

SATURDAY and SUNDAY JUNE 7 and 8, 2025 Main Launch, Codorus State Park

06/03/2026

Congratulations to our June "Garden of the Month" award winner, Richard Rorrer, of 361 Grant Drive, Hanover.

When Richard and his wife, Deb, purchased this home 31 years ago, none of what we see now was there. Even though he had no experience with gardening growing up, the gardens they inherited were not his style, so he decided to gut them and began creating what we see today...a brave undertaking! He read, watched videos, and watched landscapers he would hire to learn pointers. Then off he went on the journey of thirty years of work, making mistakes and learning along the way, as we all do! He even planned a beautiful brick sidewalk and brick highlights in his driveway to make the area look even more special.

Each year a little more was done, and they continue to add to it to this day. Retirement presented him with even more time to spend in his gardens, and as he says, he then "really began to dig into it!" He is the chief gardener, but Deb does get involved helping to pick colors for the planters and being the willing observer to guide him for exact placement--"a little to the left, move it there, etc." That's clearly a demanding job because when you see this landscaping, you know that Richard is a true perfectionist. There isn't a leaf or blade of grass that escapes his watchful eye! Everything is always at its best. He has received several offers asking him to trim other gardeners' shrubs (this author included!) Even his spotless garage has everything lined up and hanging perfectly.

His obsession is our enjoyment! If you drive by and see him outside tweaking this or that, you'll know he's where he wants to be--making his grounds perfect for those of us who pass by.

Thank you, Richard, for beautifying your corner of the neighborhood for all to enjoy!