By Krista Henneck

It’s pretty clear that Westerville has a love of gardening. In fact, it is the theme of WesterFlora 2010, a tour of the community’s most noteworthy gardens.

This year’s tour, “For the Love Of Gardening,” will take place July 18 from 1-7 p.m. and will mark the event’s 19th year.

But what began as a competitive offshoot of the AmeriFlora ‘92 International Flower Show, held in Columbus, has evolved into a non-competitive event that fosters community in Westerville.

The goals of the event are the “beautification of the community, getting people to work on their properties and share them with their neighbors,” says Donna Reed, co-chair of the tour’s selection committee. “It’s about pride for the community.”

Reed attributes the event’s continued success to the dedication of her fellow committee members.

“There are really great people on the committee who have kept it going … and keep interest in it,” she says.

In fact, this year, there were about 23 entries, Reed says. Between 10 and 12 are selected for the tour and will be notified by June 25.

Although the tour is no longer a judged competition, “It’s a privilege to be on the tour,” Reed says. “You do have to have the elements to be selected.”

And this includes more than “just a tidy lawn and well-cut grass,” she says. “It needs to be really tidy and colorful. Water features are good. The committee looks for things that are unique or unusual.”

The day of the event, attendees receive a map of the selected locations and are free to visit the gardens in any order. For more information, visit www.westerflora.com.

Image courtesy of WesterFlora.