My wife's goal is to be a part of the garden tour. I told her give me five years, four years ago. She reminds me the clock is ticking each spring.

let us know how it goes, because next year my garden is going to be on display. *gulp*

~Chills

Dd tries to get me to enter our local garden tour every year,but I say my garden is not quite ready yet,maybe next year.
Honestly I don't think I will ever feel that it's ready.
Guess I'm my own worse critic.

Eliza Ann

Hi Juliana -- I hope you have a hostess as nice as I did last year (that would be you, I think!). Relax and enjoy -- your gardens were so beautiful when I saw them late last summer that I know everyone will enjoy them so much.

I was so worried last year because I was just beginning the transition from a mostly shade garden to a little more sun, had too many new beds, and so many things were immature or needed moved. But the people who came were so nice and appreciative and it was a really nice day...well, minus the flooded basement, but that's another story.

Have fun and enjoy every minute!

Ruth

I'm on too this year. July 10th is my day. And while I planned and planned since last July when I was asked...my garden is disappointing...well to me...since I had high hopes for it.

Lost several large structural items due to the severe winter and things that are in bloom now and in the last week, won't be on the day of the tour. Very little will be in bloom unfortunately.

However, I did my best and probably most people, since they have never seen it will be impressed.

Mother nature wins and that is my lesson.

Best of luck!

Our garden has been part of garden tours for a few years and no matter how much I say it is not ready, etc., the people who come love it and admire it and give us lots of compliments, so it is always worth all the effort. Our garden always has something that is in the process of being built or redone, so it is never perfect and I somehow doubt it ever will be. This year, the annuals were a bust and they still look pathetic especially the ones I bought at the nursery. The ones I grew from seed are doing very well, so no more buying annuals, it just isn't worth it. Anyway, I digress. Both my husband and I served as host and hostess so that we could take the time to talk to people as they had so many questions that it would be impossible for those not familiar with our garden to answer these questions. Plus people wanted names of certain flowers so we were prepared with pieces of paper and pen to write them down. There is always one show stopper in a garden or sometimes two that sticks in people's mind. For us, it was Showy Evening primrose (blooms during the day for months at a time) at the very front, so it caught everyone's attention. Also I grew from seed, canterbury bells and they were huge (over 3 feet tall) in the most beautiful blues and you couldn't help but notice them. None of these things are done intentionally, they just happened but tht apparently is what some people remember about our garden. Your tour will be a great success; People are alawys appreciative of letting them see your garden and most people are usually overwhelmed about the work involved, so just enjoy all the compliments, it will be a great day.

Mother nature didn't let me down. In the last week everything just popped out and the compliments were wonderful. A wonderful day answering people's questions.

We had a hot (92) but beautiful day -- lots of gratifying compliments. I'll be happy to do it again in 4-5 years.

Thanks for the suggestion on pen & paper -- I went through a pad of hot pink sticky notes!