Open Garden Tours of 2019

For our 2019 season we had 14 members open their gardens over 8 weekends. Pretty impressive sharing! 

Upon reflection, it seems that folks who were willing to share their gardens with the other members often prefaced that willingness with “my garden isn’t so special” or “I hope it will look good enough”. I was always delighted to tell them there is no standard for the open garden tours. We are all equal in that we are gardeners creating the outdoor sanctuaries that are special for us and our site and all gardens are welcome to be shared. 

Our sites, functional requirements and aesthetic tastes, age and stage of garden are so different that we can likely learn or appreciate something from every garden. It is a very casual and somewhat spontaneous way for members to see other gardens and meet the member that created them.

Gardeners just love to visit other gardens! There is everything in an open garden tour. For those who go to the gardens it is a chance to get out yet stay local, it’s free, there is mystery and exploration of the unknown and a chance to see or learn about different styles of gardens or plants that are new to us or used in a different way as well as the opportunity to view creative use of hardscape materials and art. 

For the gardener who is willing to open their garden gate to other members it can often be an added motivation to finish projects or do those extra tasks and get feedback on their work. As we return to our own gardens or as we close the garden gate at the end of the tour, what remains for everyone are the connections made from sharing our passion for gardens. 

Thanks for sharing! Karen Cummins, Chair OGT