Gardeners watch TV, attend classes and read magazines to get ideas for their landscapes, but one of the most effective sources for inspiration is to tour other gardeners' gardens.
Walking through well planned and maintained gardens can open your eyes to color combinations you hadn't considered and teach you new planting methods. Touring gardens also can alert you to new plants that are right for Arkansas.
After taking 2014 off, the Little Rock Council of Garden Clubs' spring garden tour returns next weekend with a new lineup of educational opportunities. May 2 and 3, six gardens in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $20 and available at many Little Rock nurseries; during the tour they can be bought at any of the homes or at Pleasant Valley Community Center, 2300 Arkansas Valley Road. The ticket includes the tour driving map.
All the gardens are easily walked; some, but not all, are accessible by wheelchair.
Arkansas Master Gardeners will wait in each garden to answer horticulture questions, but the educational opportunities don't stop there. Expert presenters will speak on a broad range of garden topics at the community center, one every hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
AMIABLE OUTDOORS
The marketing theme for the tour is "April Showers Bring May Flowers," and the gardens will be open rain or shine; but the theme could as easily be "Living Is Easy -- Outdoors." Most of the gardens have outdoor entertaining and relaxing areas, with kitchens and fireplaces.
m John and Linda Fulbright, 10820 Platte Valley Drive
This backyard makes you want to sit and stay awhile. The outdoor dining area includes a native-stone water feature with colorful fish, and the garden has something in bloom in all seasons, from native plants to exotics, in arbors and along pathways.
• Judy Caruthers, 2821 Hidden Valley Drive
When you enter the backyard, you feel as if you have entered a secret garden. Nestled behind
the house is a huge outdoor fireplace and seating area. A gazebo graces another corner of the property, and a variety of shrubs add to the beauty.
A common horse trough, drilled with holes and painted green, makes an interesting planter for boxwoods.
m Dr. Gene and Margie France, 11701 Fairway Drive
A plant collector's haven, this garden is well used by a family with many grandchildren and so is as suited to riding toys as it is to quiet contemplation. One recent addition is a fairy garden developed for the couple's granddaughters. Plants of all types are tucked into nooks and crannies, along with interesting art.
m John and Lindsey Ryan, 11900 Fairway Drive
The Ryans have made major changes in the backyard in the 21/2 years they have lived here. Outdoor living is high on their list of priorities. They have a huge fireplace to warm their dining area and outdoor living room, play areas for the children and dogs and some gorgeous pots.
m Betsey and Joe Mowrey, 3715 Doral Drive
This garden was on the tour several years ago, but it has really grown since that time. A large water feature, patios and vegetable garden are just a few of the features.
m Lydia Lane and Tim Trieschmann, 458 Valley Club Circle
Begun by an earlier owner, this garden also was on the tour years ago, but while the front yard is similar, the back has been totally redone with patios, terraces and a more formal look.
Proceeds from ticket sales will help develop and maintain the gardens at Hillcrest Hall, 1501 Kavanaugh Blvd., which the council donated to the Central Arkansas Library System. Since 1933, the nonprofit council has promoted garden clubs, landscaping and beautiful gardens.
The tour website is glrcgc.org/spring-tour; more information is at (501) 773-1394.
HomeStyle on 04/25/2015