garden tour, 2013

Sunday was the annual Anchorage Garden Tour, when, for five hours several local gardens are open for public viewing. Two years ago I biked it with my friends, Corinne and Paul, so when Corinne said it was coming up, I jumped on board. A few other friends decided to join in.

Seven of us gathered with our bicycles at a local park and headed off to the first garden, in the Airport Heights neighborhood. We visited four more gardens in Turnagain, and then a final garden on the shore of Sand Lake, just south of Raspberry Road. The day was warmer than I expected with no need for the rain gear I'd packed. I was glad a couple people brought sunblock because that was not even on my radar. Along the way, we biked neighborhood streets and greenbelt trails. We even had a picnic lunch in a park across from one of the gardens. All told, I biked 30 miles. But it wasn't about the mileage, it was about the gardens.

What I love about visiting the different gardens are all the ideas I pick up and stash away for later, i.e., that day when we are finally ready to start dealing with the landscape in both the front and back yards. Meanwhile, here are some ideas I liked:

Rain-gutter garden!

Painted furniture (and no lawn to mow!)

Outdoor art on the garden shed.

Umbrella to make mini-greenhouse!

Corinne matching the poppies!

Hen house (though that screened area looks like a perfect place to write!)

Choose one color; now it becomes all about shapes & textures.

Close-up.

My shadow & I love this angled planting!

Fence made of reclaimed metal with tile & glass, paint accents.

Watermelon berries!

Nice kitty.

It's patriotic to re-purpose your old sports equipment!
(Be careful of the black arm rests on a sunny day!)

I'm claiming the hammock and the float plane!