Find inspiration at spring’s many garden tours
Here comes garden tour season! April and May are prime time for garden tours in the Sacramento region. Many of the events are fundraisers for area groups or schools, featuring lush gardens, impressive landscaping and often extras such as refreshments, gift shops and plants for sale.
One event, the Gardens Gone Native tour, is free and designed to spotlight California native plants in home or school landscapes. This marks the 12th annual tour, to be held May 3.
The dates come up quickly, and some tours sell out, so plan ahead. Here are all the tours we know about now, in calendar order:
Saturday, April 26
— River Park Garden Tour, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The theme for the 5th annual tour is “Special Garden Spaces.” Diverse gardens on a self-guided tour. Presented by the River Park Garden Club, one of Sacramento’s oldest social clubs. River Park is off H Street, north of Sacramento State. Tickets are $5, available on tour day at 5458 Carlson Drive, Sacramento, or in advance by calling (916) 451-4658 (no calls after 8 p.m.). Children are admitted free but must be supervised by parents. No strollers or pets. Tour gardens are accessible.
— 34th Curtis Park Home & Garden Tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $25 in advance, $30 day of tour. The tour includes five homes of various styles, with unique indoor/outdoor entertainment and kitchen spaces. The Capitol A’s Model A Ford Club will tour vintage cars throughout the neighborhood. The north end of Curtis Park will feature food trucks, live music by Midtown Jazz, information displays, and picnic tables and chairs. A fundraiser for the Sierra 2 Center and produced by the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association. Tickets available at www.Sierra2.org or at the Sierra 2 Center office, 2791 24th St. Sacramento.
Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27
— 23rd Annual Gardens of Folsom Tour, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eight private gardens plus bonus gardens, a bake sale, a plant sale, a food truck and a raffle. Also, artists painting in the gardens and master gardeners on site to answer questions. Presented by the Folsom Garden Club to support scholarships. $25, tickets required for ages 16 and older. Tickets and pickup information available here.
Saturday, May 3
— Gardens Gone Native, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society coordinates this self-guided tour, designed to showcase native plants in approximately 30 gardens of myriad sizes across the Sacramento area. Free, reserve a spot via EventBrite here. The tour brochure and information will be provided and made available to registrants the week before the tour. (Tip: It’s impossible to see all the gardens in one day, so when the map is released, plan a driving route. I like to choose a neighborhood I haven’t explored before. And don’t be afraid to ask questions about the plants and the gardener’s choices.)
Sunday, May 4:
— Colonial Heights Garden Tour. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Presented by the Colonial Heights Neighborhood Association. Several neighborhood gardens will be open to visit. Colonial Park, at 19th Avenue and 53rd Street, will host food and coffee vendors, plant vendors, and a plant/seed swap. Tickets $7 online or $5 day of event. Information here.
— Pence Gallery Garden Tour. Noon to 5 p.m. The nonprofit art gallery in downtown Davis presents a Sunday self-guided tour featuring six private gardens in the university town. As befitting its sponsor and beneficiary, the tour features artists painting in each of the featured gardens. Yolo master gardeners also will be on hand to answer gardening questions. At the Pence itself will be art exhibits, a snack bag (limited supply) and a 2 p.m. tour by the gallery director. Tickets are $25 for members, $30 for non-members, and $35 day of event. They go on sale April 4. Information here.
Saturday and Sunday, May 10-11
— East Sacramento Garden Tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This long-running fundraiser for David Lubin Elementary School this year features six gardens in East Sacramento, $25. Ages under 12 free. A boutique and cafe at the school is open to the public, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. An additional event is a wine garden, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Sutter Lawn Tennis Club (separate $20 ticket required). Tickets and information available at https://www.eastsacgardentour.com/.
Sunday, May 11
— Mother’s Day Garden Tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., presented by the Placer County master gardeners. Six gardens in Auburn are featured this year. $20; children under 12 admitted free. Tickets will be sold at Green Acres in Auburn, Rocklin, and Roseville, also online, starting April 25. Information here.
Saturday, May 17:
— Tahoe Park Garden Tour, gardens and artists and more, neighborhood of 8th Avenue and 60th Street, Sacramento, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets $10 to $12 (online map vs. printed program). Tickets and information here.
Also of note:
CNPS Ambassador Patricia Carpenter typically opens her garden for a Late Spring Ramble on a Sunday in later May. The tour is free but requires registration; signups are not yet available.
