Garden lovers will have the chance to explore a variety of spaces during Seward’s 2026 garden tour, “Red, White and Bloom,” presented by the Blue River Historical District.
The event will be Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tour will begin at the Blue River Historical District, located at 2764 Izaak Walton Road in Seward. There, guests will redeem their tickets, receive gift bags and pick up maps with the various garden tour locations.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Liberty House, Blue Bench Gifts or at the Blue River Historical District on the day of the event. Those who choose to can also donate at the gardens.
Proceeds will support the Blue River Historical District and its mission to preserve and share local history.
The money raised will go toward trees, shrubs, flowers and more for the site, according to Marty Nissen.
“We’re going to establish an orchard, because the early pioneers had to have orchards and gardens, so we need to plant a bunch of trees,” she said.
The Blue River Historical District consists of four acres of land containing a cabin from the mid-1860s, historical markers, information stations, a pollinator garden and more to come. Volunteers started the garden three years ago with help from the Pollinator Alliance of the Heartland.
The garden is just three years old, and, according to Nissen, it acts to preserve the beautiful nature and pollinators that God has provided.
“It has just taken off, and it’s beautiful and full,” Nissen said. “We’re even having to cut it back because it’s crowding out so much to where our path through the middle is hard to find. It’s a pretty spot, and it’s along a nice path there at the historical site, right next to a historical marker that is interesting for people to read.”
Nissen said the tour will be a great way to introduce new people to the district.
“A lot of people I don’t think are aware we are out there, and we want to make some new friends and inform people and share the beauty out there,” she said. “And, hopefully, they will enjoy the other gardens that they get to tour, too. Every one will be different.”
Jean Kolterman and the GFWC Women’s Club started an annual garden tour years ago. A few years after the tradition stopped, Pat Coldiron of Liberty House revived it. She said the Seward area has many lovely gardens, and it is enjoyable to share them.
According to Coldiron, who loves Nebraska history and sharing the state’s stories, the people involved make the event special.
“We have 50 to 75 attendees to our garden tour, and these wonderful folks open up their private gardens,” she said. “They share them, and they work so hard getting ready. They’re working for Seward County and Nebraska. They’re sharing what beauty we have.”
Nissen said every garden on the tour has its own style.
Among the stops is the Hartmann family’s property. Dee Hartmann, who also participated in last year’s tour, said their space has a new greenhouse, patio, baby orchard and two new gardens – one that is America 250 themed and one that is Alice in Wonderland themed. The property also includes a playground.
Many of the Hartmanns’ gardens are designed to fit fantasy themes for children, including a shipwreck garden, giant pigs and a Yogi Bear garden.
“The little ones just love it, and they can climb on everything,” Hartmann said. “It’s not one of those gardens where you have to go and ‘Don’t touch.’ It’s ‘Please touch.’”
The Hartmanns’ children help plant the space and repaint all of its characters every year. Hartmann said they sometimes invite daycares and visitors from the public to walk through the garden free of charge. The family farm has been in her mother-in-law’s family for more than 100 years, and food will be available for attendees.
“It’s a historical mark, so she enjoys seeing all these people come in and talk about the property, and they reminisce,” Hartmann said. “A lot of people knew the Hartmanns, so she enjoys that.”
The garden at Heartfelt Children’s Memorial, maintained by Diane and Clark Krieser, will also be part of the tour. The outdoor memorial is adorned with bricks bearing the names of children who have passed.
“It definitely has its own aura,” Krieser said. “It’s just a peaceful place to be to see all of the names of the children that are there together. It’s a nice remembrance for so many families.”
Children from 11 states and one foreign country are memorialized there, and families add names through a dedication ceremony each year.
“Maybe people that have not been to the memorial will take time to actually not only view the beautiful flowers, but to see what the memorial is about a little more,” Krieser said.
Morie Vanderslice and her husband, Mike, participated in the tour once while living in town, and this will be their first time participating from their acreage.
“We have a big area that we planted a bunch of new perennials in,” Vanderslice said. “A lot of my stuff is landscaping pots with rustic things, like wagons, and I have lots and lots of flowers.”
Vicki Luebbe attended the tour as a guest last year and said she enjoyed seeing people’s beautiful places. This year, she and her husband, Del, will be among the hosts.
Luebbe loves purple, so many of her flowers will be that color. Her front yard will be red, white and blue to fit the tour theme, while the back yard will feature a witch theme because she was born on Halloween.
Old Depot Farms will display its flowers as part of the tour, as well. Every stop will be different, and Coldiron said attendees enjoy the variety.
“I just love the reactions of people,” Hartmann said. “So many people say it just makes them smile; it makes them happy.”
