In brief: Garden writer Mulvihill plans English garden tour

Susan Mulvihill, who writes a garden column for The Spokesman-Review and is co-author of the “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook,” will lead a tour to visit several beautiful gardens in England next summer.

The garden tour June 30-July 11 will include Prince Charles’ Highgrove Royal Gardens, Abbey House Gardens, Sudelely Castle, Kiftsgate Court, Wollerton Old Hall and the Hampton Court Garden Festival.

Mulvihill will give a presentation on the trip itinerary at a meeting Monday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St.

For more information, contact travel agent Val Day of International House of Travel at (509) 991-8334 or by email at Val@internationalhouseof travel.com.

Crosby museum open house set

The fifth annual Holiday Open House at the Bing Crosby House Museum will be 1-4 p.m. Dec. 7, hosted by the Bing Crosby Advocates. Admission is free.

The museum at 508 E. Sharp Ave. on the campus of Gonzaga University will be decorated for the holidays, and free hot cider and cookies will be served by the Bing Crosby Advocates, a nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining the legacy of Bing Crosby.

Built in 1911, this is where the internationally famous star of film, song, radio and more grew up and where he lived until leaving for Hollywood in 1925 – and it’s the very place where the singer of White Christmas spent many youthful Christmases.

More than 200 items are on display in the museum showing Bing Crosby’s life and career. Visitors can see his gold and platinum records, pipes, trophies, photographs from both his career and personal life, and other items.

Also on display is the Best Actor Oscar he won for the 1944 film Going My Way, in which he portrayed a priest – a role which was a natural for him, he once said, as he was raised in the Logan District of Spokane and was educated by priests at what was then Gonzaga High School and also Gonzaga University.

For information about the Open House, contact Stephanie Plowman at (509) 313-3847 or plowman@gonzaga.edu. Information about the film festival is available at BingCrosbyAdvocates.org.