STEVENSVILLE — Gardens are blooming to benefit the Bitterroot ahead of the 12th annual Bitterroot Secret Garden Tour, which brings together gardens and good causes.
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“It's all these blooms that allow our community to bloom,” said Amy James with Ruthie’s Little Miracles.
Each year, the tour stops at private gardens around the Bitterroot, raising money for local organizations while showing off local blooms.
The Bitterroot Secret Garden Tour started years ago, after the idea was planted as four friends awaited gardening season.
“It was in February, and we were all bemoaning how long it was going to take until spring. Looking at seed catalogs just wasn't giving us our fix, so we decided that we would like to start a garden tour and what a great idea to donate the funds to a local charity,” said Kielian DeWitt, the treasurer of the Bitterroot Secret Garden Tour. “You know, what we realized was you can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”
The group behind it is a nonprofit and, other than the costs of putting the tour on, all the money collected from ticket sales, donations and marketplace art sales goes directly to local nonprofits. This year, the funds are going to Loads of Dignity and Ruthie’s Little Miracles.
“It's fabulous. It's so rewarding, not only for our beneficiaries, but for us to be able to do this,” said Betsy Merrell, vice president and board member of Bitterroot Secret Garden Tour.
For more than seven years, Loads of Dignity has been offering free laundry services and supplies to people with financial challenges or struggling with homelessness.
“They can come in, we pay for their laundry to get done, we supply the laundry detergent, fabric softener, hygiene bags, just a full circle and a listening ear without an agenda,” said Stefani Jackson, founder and executive director of Loads of Dignity.
Since 2024, Ruthie’s Little Miracles has been providing free clothing, food, showers and helping connect people with counseling. It was started by Tamera Klapwyk, in honor of her daughter Ruthie.
“Ruthie's Little Miracles is really based on hope, on love, and Ruthie existed because she wanted never for anyone to be left behind,” said Amy James, who helped start the nonprofit.
“Her legacy was to bring hope and healing, and she passed away at 17, and I just feel honored that we've been able to continue her legacy through this foundation,” Klapwyk said. “She'd bring kids home to our home to feed, and so we are continuing to do that through showers and feeding and then also helping make sure that we bridge the gap for the mental health issues in the valley.”
Last year, the garden tour raised $25,000 through ticket, art sales and donations. The tour is already on track for another big year. They sold out of tickets just minutes after making them available in three spots around the valley.
“We literally sold 350 tickets in 18 minutes. The first location sold out in five minutes, I think,” DeWitt said. “And people stand in line. They come early. They tease about coming the night before. They're gonna camp out.”
On Saturday, those 350 people will be heading to five participating private gardens in the Stevensville area, including Ron Williams and Rosie LeMire’s.
“The idea of 300 and something people wandering through the yard is pretty intense,” Williams said. “But yeah, I like having been acknowledged for all the work that we've done. We did it for us and for wildlife and for the birds.”
“Hopefully, it'll inspire some people,” LeMire added.
As people walk through the gardens, they can also get gardening tips.
“People get to steal ideas. These gardens would not be seen by anyone except the owners and maybe their friends and family,” Merrell said. “But, we encourage people to bring their cameras, ask questions, the gardeners, owners will be out, and to make your own garden better.”
While tickets are sold out for Saturday, but there are other ways to get involved, like donating, volunteering and looking ahead to next year. The nonprofits already have plans for how they will put the money to good use to help the Bitterroot blossom.
“As Ruthie's mom, I am so excited that this is happening and that her legacy can live on and all the blooms can be future blooms of hope for families that are in need and individuals that are in need,” Klapwyk said.
