Masterful Gardens Over 25 Years, is Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Six private Palo Alto gardens will be open to ticket holders, plus Gamble Garden (free to all). At GambleGarden there will be a plant sale, boutique, luncheon, garden experts, "Over the Garden Fence" garden shop, free Tea and Cookies, courtesy of the Garden Club of P. A., and much more.

 

Three ways you can get a bargain ticket: 1. Become a member of Gamble Garden, or

 

2. Volunteer to work at the Tour, or

 

3. Purchase your ticket in advance.

 

For these options go to: www.gamblegarden.org    

 

     The  "Over the Garden Fence" shop at the Spring Tour sells "pre-owned" garden-related items such as tools, furniture, decor, sculpture etc., in good condition, which have been donated to Gamble for the sale. Please, if you have such items that you no longer use or need bring them to the Carriage House at GambleGarden the week before the Tour, preferably from April 19 on. All donations are tax-deductible, and pick-up can be arranged for large or heavy items.

Conservation News:

 

April showers have brought out some amazing May flowers and the Natives are going crazy !

 

To see some beautiful flowering plants, including natives, in local gardens, you might want to take in the Open Days Program of the Garden Conservancy happening in our area May 15th.

 

The Garden Conservancy is a national organization with a mission to preserve exceptional American gardens for public education and enjoyment. They seek to develop and deepen public appreciation of gardens as integral elements of our national artistic and cultural heritage. The Open Days Program serves as the primary educational outreach for the Conservancy and is a major component of their mission.

 

The Open Days Program is essentially a series of private garden tours around the country that begins in early spring and continues through the fall of each year. Each summer, gardeners are invited by local Regional Representatives to become Garden Hosts and agree to open their garden during a scheduled Open Day (or several days) in their area. The Open Days are self-guided tours. Visitors decide which garden they want to visit and in what order. Simply show up at the garden during the times indicated and pay at the gate. There are no rain dates for these tours.

 

The following paragraph is a description of a garden that will be open for touring on May 15th, from 10am to 4pm, at  88 Mercedes Lane in Atherton:

 

"This beautiful suburban garden is blessed with magnificent specimen camellias, rhododendrons, and a myriad of spectacular trees: heritage oaks, rare horsechestnut, giant persimmon, two types of edible apple, crabapple, dogwood, hawthorne and flowering cherry, to name a few. Landscape designer Kristin Davis recently refurbished the garden to emphasize seasonal bloom, year-round interest, and increased privacy. Follow the reconstructed decomposed granite path through the rose walk to the generous back lawn area bordered by a sinuous brick edging. Discover the edible garden area, which contains fig, blueberry, pomegranate, and several varieties of citrus trees. Continue along the path to the first of two outdoor living/dining areas with a large pergola entwined with a glorious mature Banksia rose. The solar heated pool reflects this active family's environmental awareness. Lastly, pause for a moment of quiet reflection on the oak and Japanese maple shaded deck, the perfect place to retreat and relax."

 

There will be three more gardens open for touring on this day as well:

Moorshead Ranch in Woodside, a private garden in Woodside, and a private garden in Los Altos.

(see: 

www.gardenconservancy.org   for more descriptions, information and directions.)

 

There is a $5 admission fee per person per garden that you may pay in cash or check at the entrance of each Open Day garden. Open Days are rain or shine. Gardens are beautiful in the rain!

 

Proceeds from the Open Days Program support the national preservation work of the Garden Conservancy such as the rehabilitation of the gardens on Alcatraz Island, as well as local nonprofit organizations designated by our garden hosts.

 

... And the natives are going crazy at the annual Spring Native plant sale of the California Native Plant Society held at Hidden Villa Ranch in Los Altos Hills :

 

Saturday, May 1, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Free. NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Find scores of species of hard-to-find native plants, seeds, and bulbs suitable for California gardens. Speak to experts about lawn alternatives such as native perennials, wildflowers, and grasses. You'll be able to buy native plant books, posters, and note cards. Organized by California Native Plant Society (Santa Clara Valley Chapter). Come early for the best selection; bring boxes in which to carry purchases home. Cash or check only. For more information, visit

www.cnps-scv.org , email CNPS_scv@yahoo.com , or call (650) 941-1068. 10% of proceeds will benefit Hidden Villa. ( www.hiddenvilla.org  )

 

I went to their fall sale and learned that arriving early is your best bet. This has become a very popular event and the crowds will be there.

 

See you there !!!

Kim Chansler

  We have lost Garden Club Associate Member Lorraine Taylor. She is remembered fondly as a willing worker at Holiday Affaire. During the year before that event in preparation for her move to the Hyatt, Lorraine made a number of very generous donations of lovely things from her home in Sharon Heights for "From Our House to Your House". She was Jeanette Phelps's neighbor.