A Secret Garden Tour will take gardening enthusiasts to homes in Camden, Cutler and Flora on June 20. The tour, sponsored by Flora Community Club's K.I.C.K. team, will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a June 27 rain date.

Featured gardens belong to Sherry and Ted Donoho, 3364 S. SR 75, Cutler; Jennifer and Tim Loepker, 570 W., 400 S., Cutler; Billie and Tom Hedde, 116 Meadow Lane, Flora; Lucy and Mike Ball, 405 W. Maple St., Flora; and Sharon and Keith Wolf, 473 N. Monroe St., Camden.

Billie Hedde says that gardening is her project; her husband does not enjoy working in the garden. However, she explains "he is very gracious about allowing me to do what I want with our yard."

"Two years ago he orchestrated and built the pergola that is attached to the shed."

Billie, who especially likes annuals, says she spends about an hour per day working on her flower garden. "I find a great deal of peace and wonder in my garden," she said. It's truly a miracle of life to have a dormant seed or plant spring forth with such great, unique beauty."

For the Balls, working in their flower gardens is something they both enjoy.

Lucy said their passion for gardening and flowers started with a large KOI pond in their front yard.

Even with three young children, Lucy estimates that they spend 32 to 40 hours per month tending their gardens.

"We just enjoy the beauty the gardens and flowers add to our home," she said.

The Wolfs also garden together. "Keith's Grandmother Wolf always had a beautiful flower garden and his uncle owned a greenhouse," Sharon said.

In the past the couple has had their own greenhouse, selling flowers and vegetables for several years. They also had an orchard and sold apples.

Their gardens feature both annuals and perennials.

"Keith likes anything that grows," she added. "He has a wide variety of hostas and some daylilies.

The Loepkers are much like the Heddes in that she tends the gardens and he enjoys them.

"Tim loves seeing them when he comes home and takes pride in them and appreciates my hard work," Jennifer said.

Jennifer credits her sister-inlaw for inspiring her love of gardening. "She designed my first flower bed when we built our home 15 years ago.

Jennifer's passion in the garden is perennials.

"I love when they first emerge in the spring, and I love that you can keep dividing and sharing them," she added. "My favorite plant is hydrangea."

The Donohos both garden, but they have their preferences - she the flowers and he the vegetables.

"I have always enjoyed gardening, but really got into it when my son, Tony, started working at a greenhouse," Sherry said. "He urged me to step out of my comfort zone and was always bringing me the 'newest' plant they were selling that season.

Sherry said that Tony and Ted planted a lot of different trees in their yard and helped her start some of her flower beds.

Sherry has a lot of perennials, especially enjoying hostas and ferns, and uses annuals as fillers. Her gardens have plants that belonged to her mother, Ted's mother, and starts from friends.

All the gardeners agree that beautiful gardens do not just appear, they take a loving hand, some time, and some hard work.

Tickets for the tour are being sold at The Flower Shoppe and Loudon Printing Co. in Flora, Armstrong Drilling in Burlington, The Flower Shoppe II in Delphi or on June 20 at any of the featured homes. Proceeds from the tour are used for community projects.