Carol O’Meara – Colorado State University Extension
BOULDER COUNTY – With the snow and rain, gardens are primed to give us some color. Mark your calendars and make time to peek behind walls and fences for ideas for your yard at local garden tours offering inspiring strolls through some of our showcase gardens.
Whittier-Mapleton Garden Tour
The 15th Annual Whittier-Mapleton Garden Tour is June 3, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., showcasing outstanding gardens in the historic Sunset Hill-Whittier neighborhood. Privately owned and tucked away from view, these remarkable sanctuaries are not open to the public at any other time of year. The gardens are selected to show a variety of types: mature, avant-garde, lavish and modest. They feature exotic plants, rare and gorgeous flowers, extraordinary hardscaping, terraced landscapes and gardens that cleverly exemplify ways to implement water-wise and small space solutions. Colorado Master Gardeners will be on hand with helpful information. Proceeds benefit the Whittier International School. Advance tickets are $15 for adults and teens, kids 12 and younger free (no dogs please). Tickets the day of the tour are $20 at the ticket booth on 8th and Mapleton Avenue in Boulder. For tickets and information, visit whittiergardentour.com.
Longmont Symphony Orchestra Guild Festival of Flowers
Longmont Symphony Orchestra Guild’s 40th Annual Festival of Flowers garden tour takes visitors through five outstanding gardens, June 9 through 10, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Support the orchestra while enjoying the blooms of the private, lovely gardens. Tickets are $12 and available from Symphony Guild members and area merchants. For more information and ticket purchasing locations, check out longmontsymphony.org.
Old Town Lafayette Garden Tour
Old Town Lafayette Garden tour, June 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. winds through five cottage gardens and the Sister Carmen Community Garden. Sponsored by the Lafayette Old Town Association, the tour features the Denver Botanic Gardens Illustrators exhibit. Advance tickets are $8; day of tour $10 and are available at the Lafayette Florist, 600 S. Public Road in Lafayette. For more information, visit oldtownlafayette.com/garden-tour.html.
The Association of Professional Landscape Designers Gardens of Boulder Tour
The Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Colorado Chapter, is hosting its second Gardens of Boulder tour, Wednesday, June 14, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Slide out of work early to view award winning gardens intended to inspire and take advantage of networking with the creative minds who crafted them. This year’s gardens are designed and built by local pros LID Landscapes and Altgett and Associates. Tickets are $10 for members, $25 for non-members; available at apldco.org.
Loveland Garden Tour
The 14th annual Loveland Garden Tour, June 17, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. showcases private gardens in east downtown Loveland. The tour features art for the garden and a silent auction of original artwork suitable for indoors or outdoors and painted by local and regional artists. Proceeds from the event benefit Loveland Youth Gardeners, a local nonprofit organization providing educational programs for youth ages 5 to 21 and fresh produce for low-income community residents. Advance tickets are $15; day of the event $18 and are available online at lovelandyouthgardeners.org.
The Junior League of Fort Collins Terrace and Garden Tour
The Junior League of Fort Collins is sponsoring the 35th Annual Terrace and Garden Tour, June 24, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. As the major fundraiser of the year, the seven-garden tour supports programs such as the Junior League Career Closet, Lincoln Center Children’s Imagination Series, Done-In-A-Day Projects and Kids in the Kitchen. Tickets are $20 but if you want the VIP treatment of food and beverage sampling during the tour, $35. Tickets can be purchased online at jlfortcollins.org.
Colorado State University Extension, together with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, provides unbiased, research-based information about consumer and family issues, horticulture, natural resources, agriculture and 4-H youth development. For more information contact Extension at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Rd., Box B, Longmont, 303.678.6238, e-mail [email protected] or visit ext.colostate.edu/boulder.
