Some people in a garden club I used to attend askd me to join their garden tour. I have been to garden tours but I have never had people tour mine before. Does anyone have any tips? I know my gardens always have something I don't like and they will never reach that perfect state that I want to show, but how do you manage to get it all weeded, trimmed, deadheaded and promote more flowers at one time? It is in August which is really the worst month for me. My best show is June and early July. I have lots of daylily edgings that start to brown up after flowering.
I guess it depends on your neighborhood, the structure of the garden walk and your personality. I participated the last two years in our neighborhood associations Art and Garden Walk. Last year I fretted and worked so hard getting everything weeded. It looked good, but not too much better than this year. And nobody but me noticed. This year I was more laid back. The weather was so crummy I felt like nothing was blooming. Sections of my front yard were a little more natural..weeds in the corners, a new bed a little sparse, and some new rototilling done in a woodland bed by one of my dobies (dog after mole.. had to recontour that entire area :-? ). I adopted the moto: It is what it is My husband and I invited friends for snacks and drinks during the garden walk this year. I greeted people as they came through for the garden walk and let them wander through. I answered questions and also tried to pawn off any starts that I had left from a plant exchange I had miss. It was the best time ever. I think having friends to visit with and my more easy-going attitude made it much more enjoyable for me. Be sure and try and visit the other gardens that are open. My husband over-saw the first hour so that I could visit the other gardens last year. I didn't make time for it this year and wish I had. There were some new gardens on the walk that a neighbor told me about and will not make the same mistake next year. Oh yeh, take pictures and be sure and post them here. We all love seeing photos of others gardens. :-D I don't know if this helps. We always see the weeds in our own yards and need to relax a little more (telling about myself ). Just remember if they asked you to participate you already have a great yard/garden
Thanks.i'll try to get my DH to take pictures. My camera doesn't work so I haven't taken pictures for a while. My gardens looked so much better last year. I hope everyone isn't disappointed. This year I received some ducks this spring and am in the process of learning what they will eat in my garden. They ate almost everything around my tiny pond and went off into my gardens to eat or sit on several other plants. I will replace some hostas with plants they don't nibble as much but with the heat I just haven't had time to do it. I also found that they like to make mud holes here and there. Their eggs better be real tasty.
Oh ducks! We had Kakhi Campbells for years (10). Old Brownie lived a good long time and gave us tons of eggs over the years. Each laid an egg a day for a good part of the year. I fenced off a part of our back, back yard for them attached to their shed/pen. They were great slug/snail eaters. I know what you mean by them doing some damage to the garden, but not too much. My dobies do more damage eating vegies, and fruit (and we have fenced the vegie area) . For me the problem with ducks was them getting into my fish pond. Yuck! They had their own little pond but they loved to escape and swim with the fishes. Enjoy your garden walk. My son told me last night he and his new fiance wanted to have their engagement party in our back yard...in August. I am right their with you on the slightly worried feelings. It will be outside because our house is small, small, small. And I was planning on taking it easy the rest of the summer...oh well.
