Entertainment

June 13, 2009

When Steve and Carol Finelli moved into

By Mary Therese Biebel mbiebel@timesleader.com
Features Writer
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When Steve and Carol Finelli moved into their 200-year-old farmhouse in Dallas Township 10 years ago, they had no idea the overgrown backyard contained a rock garden.

But as Steve Finelli trimmed towering lilac trees and rhododendron, pulled weeds and transplanted hostas, flagstone footpaths began to emerge.

So did an old-fashioned bird bath, a pond crossed by a stone footbridge and two stone benches, complete with backrests.

“It was like finding a Mayan temple,” said Finelli, who believes the stonework dates to the 1930s, based on what a neighbor told him.

You can visit the Finellis’ historic backyard on June 27, when it will be one of seven gardens on display as part of the Back Mountain Bloomers Garden Tour.

If the day is extremely warm, you may never want to leave.

“It can be 90 degrees in the driveway, and it’ll be 10 or 15 degrees cooler over here (under the shade of the 2-acre property’s many trees.)

“I started counting and quit at 100,” Finelli said. “A neighbor told me a previous owner planted 1,100 trees and shrubs.”

One tree that no doubt predates that previous owner is a majestic red maple with a circumference of at least 12 feet. Based on its size, Finelli believes it’s one of the oldest trees in Luzerne County.

Other features you’re sure to notice are the enormous hostas Finelli estimates at 6 feet wide and the “sea of tiger lilies” that should be in bloom at the time of the garden tour.

As for the house, it has columns and shutters that suggest they were crafted about the time of the Revolutionary War.

“I’m a big Thomas Jefferson fan,” Finelli said. “I get a kick out of knowing this house was here when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were alive.”

IF YOU GO

What: Back Mountain Bloomers Garden Tour

Where: Seven properties in the Back Mountain, including the Finellis’ historic garden.

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 27

Tickets: $25.

More info: 718-6507 or 675-9016

How to tour: At your own pace, with a map you will receive if you purchase a ticket.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a three-part series showcasing local homes on the Back Mountain Bloomers Garden Tour.

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