Peninsula tunes up for ‘Music in the Gardens’

Published 3:42 pm Tuesday, July 8, 2025

By Peter Korchnak

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This Long Beach Peninsula home with a carefully groomed garden all around it is one of the host venues for the “Music in the Gardens” celebration July 12 organized by the Water Music Society as part of its annual calendar of events. Coast Weekend cannot identify the location because society supporters must buy a ticket to be able to locate and tour the various venues. Some will have live music or an artist in the garden. Tickets are $20 online or available at three local venues ahead of the tour. Patrick Webb

Music in the Gardens returns to the Long Beach Peninsula July 12 for its 20th anniversary tour.

The self-guided tour of private gardens across the Long Beach Peninsula will offer a variety of behind-the-gate views of coastal landscapes accompanied by live music, art, and refreshments.

“It’s a delightful way to spend a summer day,” said tour organizer Nancy Allen. “We are in a coastal region that can be challenging for gardeners. Visiting the gardens of successful gardeners can be a delight and very educational for the people who attend the tour.”

The tour features a variety of gardens; the itinerary is kept secret until the day of the event.

“I want it to be mysterious,” Allen said.

‘Sanctuary’

One resident and her partner designed their “Garden of Peace” in a scenic location as a sanctuary for birds, wildlife, and humans to offer a peaceful retreat, cultivate stillness, and enjoy the moment in deep connection with nature, according to their description.

Participating in the garden tour encouraged her to complete projects she had been putting off.

“We love this place, it’s just such a pretty setting and so relaxing. We pinch ourselves every time we get a chance to sit out there and admire the view,” she said. “And we just want other people to feel what we feel sitting out there.”

She looks forward to sharing her experience and expertise with the visitors. “I’m a constant learner,” she said. “I wouldn’t call it expertise, trial and error is more like it, but you have to enjoy the journey of trying things.”

The woman has showcased a previous garden twice, while this is her first time at her current location. She has previously worked the tour as a leader.

“It’s just a fantastic time, just seeing all the people that love gardening…” she said.

Her next-door neighbors will showcase their multi-acre property with chickens roaming among dahlias and roses. Other gardens include a perennial garden at the oldest house in Oysterville and a 30-year old food forest brimming with vegetables, fruit trees and berries.

Music, art

Every garden will host a live music performance, and in several gardens visual artists will be showcasing, and in some cases making, art. For example, Gregory Gorham will be doing plein air painting in one of the gardens to kick off his gallery show “Oysterville, the Pearl of the Peninsula” which opens later in July. And Yakima-based fused glass artist Starla Gable will present her utilitarian art.

The event has grown tenfold in its history. This year, Allen expects several hundred to attend, hailing from as far as Seattle and Portland. “It’s become a very popular event, not just for the gardens, but for meeting old friends and making new ones,” Allen said.

Visitors are asked to leave their dogs at home.

The event doubles as a fundraiser for the Water Music Society, a nonprofit which hosts a concert series and the annual Jazz and Oysters event. It supports art and education programs in Southwest Washington schools, including a new scholarship program.

Tickets are $20, online at www.watermusicsociety.com or available in person from three venues, Basketcase Greenhouse, 12106 Sandridge Road, in Long Beach, Bay Avenue Gallery, 1406 Bay Ave., in Ocean Park and Nansen Florals, 3715 L Place, in Seaview which will provide tour maps for the price of an admission ticket.

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