Artist’s Seaside Garden Launches Belfast Garden Club’s 2025 Open Garden Days

On Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., textile artist Deborah Ketter will open her garden and studio to visitors as the first of nine Open Garden Days sponsored by the Belfast Garden Club. The event, which will be held rain or shine, will take place at 188 Bluff Road in Northport. Admission is $5.00.

When Ketter and her writer husband purchased the property in August 2019, formal gardens already filled the front yard, including boxwood hedges and topiary willow trees. Come spring, the couple discovered the stunning display of peonies in the front and all over the yard. One of the previous owners was an avid gardener and a lover of these early bloomers. Ketter had maintained formal gardens at their previous home in Pennsylvania, a Victorian where they raised their six children, and wasn’t necessarily looking to keep gardening on such a large scale in retirement. However, the combination of Penobscot Bay views and an already-established garden was impossible to resist. 

The garden is also home to many hosta species, which are a challenge to keep from becoming deer snacks. “I faithfully spray them with a solution of Irish Spring soap and water as soon as I see the tiny hosta heads emerge from the ground in the spring,” Ketter says, citing the deer repellant she uses. Although she has a few changes planned for her garden, Ketter says, “I’m a firm believer in being grateful for what you already have.”

A textile artist, Ketter will also open her studio to visitors during the garden tour. Her wearable art includes wool and silk felted garments dyed with both natural and the more colorful analinedyes. A Kripalu yoga teacher and certified Veriditas labyrinth facilitator, Ketter also builds labyrinths and uses a creative and therapeutic approach to teach the art and science of yoga with a focus on guided relaxation.

The Belfast Garden Club’s Open Garden Days will be held on nine Saturdays during the summer, from June 14 until August 16. Season passes are available for $35.00 on site. Revenue goes to support the nonprofit’s 13 public gardens in Belfast and their educational and community programs. For more information, visit  their website at www//http:belfastgardenclub.org.