Tour gives a rare look into private gardens
SANDPOINT — From Sandpoint to Sagle and points in between, the annual Bonner County Garden Association Tour will put the best of the region's flora on display Sunday. Eight talented gardeners will open their gates to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 17, offering a rare glimpse of sumptuous spaces usually kept private. Visitors can start their tours at any of the eight locations and view as many or as few gardens as their time allows, according to tour information from BCGA.
Gourmet Greenery at Ponder Point offers a feast for the eyes and the palate as well. Gardeners Valerie and Jiwan Ripley have created a multi-use landscape of medicinal, edible and ornamental plantings that includes fruiting shrubs, garden vegetables and herbs.
The Ripleys’ new greenhouse is also filled with eye candy.
Down the road apiece, gardeners Jack and Jeanelle welcome visitors to Homestead Farm, a 1913 homestead that they have reclaimed in pastoral style. Vibrant vegetables fill the raised beds and multifoliate blossoms abound in the vintage-style flower garden. A picturesque chicken house, complete with picket fence, adds a touch of old-fashioned charm. The younger set will be captivated by the miniature donkeys and grazing horse.
The garden tour takes visitors to Sandpoint proper to see Le Petit Jardin by Cary and Mona Kelly. This lush retreat in the midst of a south Sandpoint neighborhood features a pagoda, plenty of flowers, shrubs, trees and window boxes overflowing with color.
Just a few blocks away, Rose Chaney welcomes tour participants to My Happy Place, a lakefront garden lush with plantings. Perennials, annuals and evergreens blend together in ever-changing patterns as the seasons pass.
"Rhododendrons, columbines, lilies, roses, honeysuckle, ligularia, Maltese cross, hosta, clematis, and so many more ... fill the garden with color and texture and marvelous aromas. Last come the hardy anemones and stately evergreens waiting in the background for the last rays of the autumn sun," said Chaney.
From Sandpoint, tourists wing their way to Sagle and The Blue Heron, the garden of Joyce Dillon. A sojourn into a lush paradise complete with four waterfalls, viewers will see lovely vignettes of specimen plants and flowers.
"Drift along and see if you can spot the sky plants in the background trying to escape your notice, while other specimens willingly reach out to caress you as you pass by," said Dillon.
Hosts Pat and Rose Congelton welcome tour participants to the Garden on Glengary Bay, a fabulous departure from traditional beauty. Large boulders provide a stark backdrop to the shrubs, flowers and trees along the driveway while a hillside path, lake views and a log bridge beckon visitors to venture further within.
A Peaceful Retreat awaits a short way along the bay, courtesy of owners Pam and Chuck Hulbert. A terrace patio, a serene pond and mellifluous fountain accent the varied plantings, lush lawns and shrubs. Expansive berry and vegetable gardens complete the scene.
A working garden that has yielded produce for 32 years, Gemini Gardens features fruit trees, berries, and vegetable beds artistically arranged to suit gourmand and aesthete alike. Shrubs and small trees are home to a variety of birds in this naturally verdant location near Garfield Bay.
Before leaving the neighborhood, garden visitors can redeem their tour tickets for a free ice cream cone at Odie's Market in Garfield Bay.
The annual Garden Tour is a fundraiser for the Bonner County Garden Association, making it possible for members to provide education outreach, classes, workshops and community projects. The cost of the tour is $10 per person, and tickets are available at participating gardens the day of the tour or at the BCGA website.
Information: bcgardeners.org/garden-tours