Visitors in Bow got the chance to see some colorful arrangements, sip lemonade and escape into the shade from the summer sun during the “Bow in Bloom” garden tour.

The Saturday, July 19, event, hosted by the Bow Garden Club, featured five home gardens and the Bow Community Garden at Rotary Park, with about 85 residents from various towns coming to see the different landscaping styles.

For four hours the homes made their gardens available for viewing, with the garden creators providing furniture and shade from the scorching sun.

“There were a lot of places where people could sit under umbrellas and trees,” said Garden Club Publicity Chairman Joyce Kimball. “I was going to each place making sure everyone had water. I went back to one place and the people were still there, just because they were having such a good time.”

Kimball said there were residents in attendance not only from Bow, but also from Manchester, Goffstown, Bedford and Peterborough.

“People were just sitting, talking about flowers and thoroughly enjoying themselves,” said Kimball. “They got to enjoy gardeners who enjoy the beauty of it. We like to show that anybody can do it with some time, effort and initiative.”

In addition to visitors getting a glimpse of some gardens in Bow, Kimball said there was an added perk for the garden club.

“We also got several new members. They see that everyone is friendly and it’s a nice blend of ages, people from all different walks of life,” she said. “We are nice people and everyone talking about a similar interest automatically brings out the best in people."

Each of the five household gardens had a different theme.

One of the homes on Putney Road was called “Kaleidoscope” because of its ever-changing colors, while another was named “The Rainbow Garden” with a variety of colors spread throughout.

Also on Putney Road was “Country Elegance.” On Woodhill- Hooksett Road, visitors came to see “Rosella’s Garden.”

According to Kimball, one of the favorites during the day was “Early New England,” a home at 62 White Rock Hill Road that had a water display, flowers, and homemade cookies.

Kimball said the event, as well as the club, is about more than just flowers in the ground.

“The best garden clubs are the ones with some older people for knowledge, freshly retired folks for finally having some free time to garden, and the young people who want to learn and garden in their home and want to meet people,” she said. “It’s very social, but we don’t just plant flowers.”