Shepherdstown Community Club looks ahead to return of Back Alley Tea & Tour

Participants in the 2009 Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea enjoy a Shepherdstown garden. File photo
SHEPHERDSTOWN — Members of the Shepherdstown Community Club are looking toward springtime weather and flowering gardens as they begin to put plans in place to bring back the annual Back Alley Tea & Tour in May.
The tour, which is looked forward to by many every year, has taken a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The tour will feature approximately 20 backyards, featuring spectacular gardens along with “high tea” in the ballroom of the War Memorial Building. In addition, the traditional local artists display and sale at the War Memorial Building will see a “Garden Boutique” added to the books, crafts and plants regularly available.
Leadership of the club has indicated that they ware need of numerous volunteers to make sure the return of the Back Alley Tea & Tour is a success. Volunteers will be needed to serve as docents to guide guests on the tour, tea servers and more.
Additional ways to contribute to the event would include offering suggestions for recipes for the tea itself. Members and nonmembers alike are encouraged to send along their favorite cookie and sandwich recipes.
Other upcoming happenings at the Shepherdstown Community Club include a spring clean-up for Morgan’s Grove Park. March 26 is the current date planned where volunteers will be needed to spruce up the park for spring enjoyment. The official opening day of the park is planned for April 2 so many hands will be needed to make light work of the clean up process. Hours for the day are currently set from 9 a.m. tol 3 p.m.
When visiting the park, guests are encouraged to note the efforts of Collin Guedel, a scout from Troop 33 in Shepherdstown who has been working on his Eagle Scout project within the park. The project, according to club member Steve Wabnitz, had two parts. The first was the creation of a pollinator garden that was completed last fall and the second is a 16-station display along the park’s walking path. Each of the 16 stops offers an all-weather sign describing a variety of trees found within the park. The stations also provide information about the Shepherdstown Community Club, inviting donations and members through the club’s website via a QR code.
Those interested in additional information on the SCC’s membership or activities can visit the club’s website, https://shepherdstowncc.org, or stop in at the War Memorial Building.