One of the fun things about working with gardeners is seeing their gardens and seeing what’s bloomin,’ what’s workin,’ and hearin’ what didn’t. Working with both the Quail Valley and the Sugar Land Garden Tours, I’ve been able to get first hand peeks at a delightful variety of gardens.
Those experiences get my juices flowing to maybe tackle something I’ve been putting off . . . or just some inspiration to add a little zing to a bare or uninteresting place, try a new plant or one I’ve never seen “that way.”
What’s fun is working with the garden owners and watching them approach opening their gardens to a bunch of strangers. Letting people in your backyard is indeed both a generous gesture and also very personal one. And the weather challenges for the past several years from record freezes to record droughts, tests the hardiest of souls.
from Quail Valley Tour Gardens.
The Quail Valley Tour is this coming Saturday, April 21 from 10 to 3; so I spent the weekend visiting the gardens to see what’s bloomin.’ Mother Nature has been kind to this tour both with rain and less extreme weather. Well, knock on wood, she still has time to do something unexpected.
One year, well-known gardener Arvada Simcoe had the most beautiful roses . . . some of her Belinda’s Dream were the size of large salad plates . . . and her many varieties of roses had such fragrances. The night before the tour, Mother Nature let loose with a violent rain and wind storm.
Those of us who had seen the garden were indeed disappointed. But with the riot of all kinds of other flowers, the public didn’t know the difference and went through a little bit of mud, actually created a little bit of mud, with the throngs entering her garden. Arvada said it took almost 6 months for the grass to recover. Like I said earlier, it is indeed generous to open your garden.
After the record freeze and cold the next year, it stayed below 70 into April . . . but somehow, there was beauty you might have missed in what were often very lush gardens. And blooms we didn’t always have on the tour at this time of year.
This year in addition to those annuals and perennials that are the main stay to keep color in the garden, I’ve seen everything from a white Orchid Tree in bloom, Amaryllis, Caladiums, roses, divine smelling jasmine, lush butterfly vines, butterfly and bee attractors, to fruit already set on citrus, grape, and get ready for this, Papayas! One garden actually has Cannas in bloom—and these are not your ordinary varieties, from lush ones from Guatemala. You’ll have to come to learn how he, with the help of Mother Nature, managed this feat. Opening your garden isn’t for the faint of heart.
The Sugar Land Tour is May 12 from 9 to 4 with gardens featured in Sugar Creek. So you’ll get two great opportunities, 3 weeks apart to see what’s bloomin’ and the creativity of the garden owners.
Both tours sell tickets at the locations the day of the tour, come rain or shine. Follow the signs.
You can learn more about the Quail Valley Tour and down load a tour map or call Janice Scanlan at 281 261-2320. It is April 21, rain or shine from 10-3.
Sugar Land Garden Club tour is May 12 from 9-4. Press Spring Garden Tour when you reach the site or contact Cheryl Swanson at 281-242-1773.
Get some garden inspiration starting this weekend.
Illustrated reprint from 4-18-2012 Fort Bend Independent
More pictures, click image to enlarge.
How collections and different textures work together to enhance an area, surprise.
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