Have you ever given any thought as to why the Clallam County Master Gardeners hold a garden tour every year?

Having an annual garden tour is one way that the Master Gardeners raise the funds needed to meet their expenses. This group of very dedicated gardeners owns a demonstration garden, located on Woodcock Road in Sequim.

Additionally, the group provides educational programs including plant clinics, Boys & Girls Club garden classes, the Fifth Street Community Garden, garden walks and the Youth Enrichment Program.

The very first garden tour was held in 1993. In those early years, gardens were located in Sequim, Port Angeles or in between — a practice continued today.

Each year the garden locations alternate from Sequim to Port Angeles with up to eight featured gardens. There is a garden selection committee that visit many gardens in the late summer/early fall for the following summer’s tour.

This committee visits many more gardens than needed, in order to have a wide variety from which to choose those gardens finally selected. The Master Gardeners’ goal is to allow plenty of time for the public to view every single garden.

The selection committee has certain criteria to meet when actually choosing a garden. Most of the selected gardens have something special happening, be it lasagna gardening, composting, lovely roses, water features, wonderful perennials, quiet, wooded or shady areas, the growing of vegetables, making use of small spaces or raised beds, or great landscape design. Homeowners, who do the design and labor-intensive work themselves, touch the hearts of all who view their endeavors.

Besides selecting gardens and designing tickets, there are many MG volunteers working behind the scenes prior to the day of the tour. Advertising flyers are designed, printed, and distributed. There are articles and photos submitted to local newspapers for publication. Banners are stretched across the streets in Port Angeles and Sequim. Master Gardeners will even pitch in and help the homeowner with last-minute gardening tasks days before the tour.

On the day of the tour, almost every Clallam County Master Gardener is involved with helping out at the selected gardens. There are those who help with parking, those who stamp tickets, and those who are situated about the gardens to answer questions or point out various unique features.

Over the last 25 years, there have been between 150-175 local gardens the public has had the opportunity to visit and experience! Sometimes, with at least 10 intervening years, a garden will merit being on the tour again. That will be the case in 2018. It’s a rare opportunity to re-visit a garden to see how it has developed and changed over time.

If your garden, or that of someone you know, might be “tour-worthy,” let the MG’s know by contacting the Extension Office. It won’t be long until the Master Gardeners will be looking at Sequim-area gardens for the 2019 tour.

Tickets may now be purchased from local nurseries/businesses, at the Extension Office, or from any Clallam County Master Gardener. The Master Gardeners hope to see you there — and appreciate the community for its continued support these past 25 years.

Contact information for tickets, to recommend gardens for future tours and to find your closest ticket vendor, is Master Gardener Coordinator Lorrie Hamilton at 360-565-2679 or lhamilton@co.clallam.wa.us.

Get involved

The Thursday “Brown Bag” series continues from noon-1 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at the Clallam County Courthouse in Port Angeles. Master Gardener Susan Kalmar will be presenting on “Installing Drip Irrigation in a Day.” The presentation is open to the public and is free of charge, but donations to help support the program are appreciated.

The “Saturdays in the Garden” series continues at the Sequim Woodcock Demonstration Garden. On Saturday, June 16, Jeanette Stehr-Green, veteran Master Gardener will be presenting “Raspberries of a Different Color: Going Beyond Red” from 10-11 a.m. Please remember that the presentation area is outdoors; there is a roof, but dress appropriately for the weather.

The Annual Garden Tour is almost here. Remember to save the date: Saturday, June 23. Look for advance tickets sales at many locations in our community.