by Nicki Elms, Carol Westfall, and Robin Borok, Alta Vista Garden Club
Whether you are a gardener seeking beauty in a variety of designs, inspiration for your own garden, or you just enjoy strolling through a feast for the eyes take the Prescott Garden Tour June 4.
Alta Vista Garden Club sponsors the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. biennial tour. This self-guided tour features five gardens, each with a slightly different take on four-season gardening.
Perhaps you will be attracted to the serenity of a water feature trickling through a meditation area; perhaps you will be refreshed by the gentle breeze of a kinetic sculpture; perhaps you will be delighted by a riot of color designed to attract birds, butterflies and bees; or perhaps you will be moved by a garden memorial to a beloved pet. There is something here for everyone.
You will meet gardeners coping with wildly fluctuating temperatures, arid conditions and wildlife — deer, javelina, rabbits, pack rats, birds and the occasional bobcat, mountain lion and bear — all eager to turn gardens into banquets.
Plus, one thing we all have in common, waiting for the monsoons. If you question how beautiful gardens can thrive in a place with erratic moisture, you will see the answers in xeriscaping, water capture, low-flow irrigation systems and native plantings.
Club members will be on hand in each garden to answer questions and lead discussions.
Tickets are limited and go on sale April 1; tickets are a donation of $20 per person. On or after that date, visit the club website, www.altavistagardenclub.org for a list of local merchants where tickets may be obtained. They also are available on the website through PayPal, which charge a $1 per ticket processing fee.
On the day of the tour, programs, maps and wrist band IDs are available from 8 to 11 a.m. at the ticket area at the flagpole of Yavapai Community College, 1100 Sheldon St. in Prescott. Any remaining tickets may be purchased there on the day of the tour.
Proceeds from this event support the work of Alta Vista Garden Club in local education, conservation, and beautification.
Alta Vista Garden Club is one of the oldest civic organizations in Prescott, celebrating the 71st anniversary of its founding. The club is affiliated with both the National and Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs.
