Have you always wanted to have a beautiful garden of your own? Or do you have one and are looking for new ideas? This weekend is the Christmas morning for garden lovers who will have the opportunity to tour the most beautiful 10 gardens between Brackendale and Furry Creek.
The Squamish Gardeners present their 12th annual Squamish Garden Tour this Sunday (June 26) between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. This year's tour has expanded to include Britannia Beach and Furry Creek, allowing a more diverse range of garden types.
Squamish Gardener member Marg Huber said this year's event will be more enjoyable than ever, and said it was largely thanks to Squamish Gardener president Carole Robson, who "has done a huge mount of work to get this thing together."
Gardener Ellen Grant called the tour a "delightful journey" and said the trailer park gardens, condo dweller plots and even the senior's housing will show participants how to use a restrictive area to best advantage.
"Since we all have small areas to landscape or grow crops there should be inspiration for everyone," she said.
The senior's centre has small plots behind their centre and more than 20 participants will be showcased during the tour. Each resident has taken their own approach and shrubs, perennials, annuals, containers and hardscaping are all used to good effect.
Grant said a second theme on the tour could be called "water wise gardening" because it's easy to spot the gardens that have taken steps to adapt to water issues in the corridor.
Irrigation, rain barrows, dry steam beds, choice of plant and mulching are all things to look for in the gardens.
Included in the admission price is a coffee voucher for Pause-Café at the Adventure Centre which can be used anytime during the event. There will also be a photo display of various other gardens and albums from previous year's garden tours.
While some gardens feature roses and perennials others intersperse their flowers with interesting rocks and driftwood. Small ponds or water fountains are also found and hanging baskets and planters are often used to add splashes of colour.
There will be a dinner hosted at Quest University after the tour, but the
Admission is $15 and it includes a map and addresses for all the different gardens. Children are free and tickets can be purchased at Garibaldi Nurseries, Village Green Garden Centre, Anna's Attic, The Bookshelf and the Adventure Centre.
