Luscious greenery, fragrant flowers and peaceful waterfalls awaited visitors July 12 attending Parkland Garden Club's 16th annual tour.

"Mystery in the Garden" featured eight gardens, a creative demonstration and silent auction.

Visitors touring the gardens were also treated to finger sandwiches, snacks and beverages.

The private gardens of Stacy and Tim Nash, 4820 Hoffmansville Road, Orefield, began in the 1950s when the owner's grandparents first lived on the property.

The grandfather built the patio area and planted copper beech, redwood, weeping white pine, apple and dwarf Norway and Alberta spruce trees along with the grandmother's spring bulbs, peonies and lilies.

Doris and Bob Jones' property at 1692 Chestertown Road, Allentown, features multiple gardens including a bog, rose garden, water garden, and secluded patio.

The gardens adjoin a wetlands set aside as a wildlife sanctuary.

Benches were placed throughout the property for visitors to pause and enjoy the various vistas.

The garden also has an interesting hybrid peony with large, beautiful yellow flowers and early, yellow-blooming dogwoods.

Debra and Bryan Gault's property at 1422 Princeton Court in Spring Valley Estates, Allentown, was built in 1989.

Bryan planted most of the shrubs and other plants as well as many of the perennials he brought from his childhood home in Watchung, N.J.

Many of Deb's decorative projects adorn the backyard including the hydrangeas painted on the Adirondack chairs in the garden.

Leslie and Mark Monahan's home, 1138 N. 20th St. Allentown, is adorned with a "Van Fleet" pale pink rose and beautiful cerise peonies from their move-in date 30 years ago.

Their daughter may have inspired their initial thoughts of transforming their yard into a beautiful garden when she decided to earn the Girl Scout Gardening Badge.

A dogwood tree, bleeding hearts, chives, and mint were some of the first plants chosen for Melissa's Garden.

Autumn joy sedum, pink azaleas, coreopsis, and annuals replaced an old hedge of thorns.

Joann and Jerry Rounds' 1950s ranch home at 4071 Hampshire Court, Allentown, provides the setting of three areas: a morning garden, shade garden, and a sun garden.

The sun garden is newly landscaped and features sun-loving plants that include a weeping spruce, sand cherry, lilies, boxwood, and perennials.

Tea cups on stakes punctuate the garden highlighting seasonal flowers such as pansies and impatiens.

Solar accent lights mark short pathways throughout the plantings adding a touch of charm after dark, while a bench welcomes visitors to take a seat.

A stone path adjoins the shade garden, complete with fern, hosta, lily of the valley, and vinca.

Sherry and Fred Lesavoy's garden at 3711 W. Chew St., Allentown, has experienced a natural evolution of function and aesthetics.

The garden starts at the front of the house where grass paths lead to a koi pond and to a stone staircase.

Upon entering the backyard, there are features such as a dry river bed, a tortoise terrarium, a raised stone-walled rose garden, and a circular central bed.

Brenda and Gary Baxter's garden at 4065 Pheasant Court, Allentown, consists of almost an acre.

Visitors viewed 300 perennial plants such as the Shasta daisy, daylily, cardinal flower, monkshood, phlox, black-eyed Susan, fern, hosta, coneflower, lupine, and more.

There were also red maples, white and Austrian pines, hemlock, and hornbeam.

A 2,200 gallon pond with waterfall provided a lovely backdrop for the outdoor dining area.

The owners' favorite areas is a patch of cardinal flowers.

A 3-tier fountain made more intriguing by the flowers surrounding it, provides the family a calm backdrop through the window during dinner.

The property of Wenda and Geoff Boyer at 5845 Stag Drive, Emmaus, is a work-in-progress.

When they moved to Emmaus in 1987, the land consisted of half cornfields and half 50- to 75-year-old woods, complete with overgrown wild grape vines, poison ivy and other noxious vines and brush.

The property was certified as a National Wildlife Habitat in 2007.

The gardens contain lilacs, hollies, red currants; trees including tulip, walnut, maple, redbud; and a wide assortment of perennials.

A herb garden is maintained in containers near the back door.

In the woods, mayapples, jack-in-the-pulpit, bloodroot, and numerous other native wildflowers can be found.