Evergreen Garden Club Tours will return with tours through five new flower and vegetable gardens on July 20. The day will also feature plant sales, food trucks, local artists and musicians, and an online silent auction. The gardens will open for self-guided tours at 10 a.m. and close at 3 p.m.
The event is the garden club's only fundraiser, with proceeds helping to maintain nine public gardens in the Evergreen area.
The tours are not only an opportunity to view beautiful plants, but also an opportunity for beginner and experienced gardeners to be inspired in their own pursuits.
Evergreen's elevation starts at 7,200 feet, making gardening a unique but rewarding challenge, said Louise Hahn, the club's incoming president.
According to a press release about the upcoming event, the touring gardens demonstrate the splendor of nature amid the region's short growing season, dry climate, harsh soils, erratic winds and insatiable wildlife.
“Garden tours are a unique opportunity to chat with people who have bounced back from disappointments — seeds that didn't germinate, flowers that disappeared overnight buried under deer and moose hoofprints, and vegetables that brought joy to a rabbit family,” the tour information reads. “The gardens on Evergreen Garden Tours have withstood the challenges of gardening at high altitude, and you can do the same.”
Having moved to Evergreen from the Chicago suburbs, Hahn experienced these hardships firsthand, as well as the frustration of wild animals eating the fruits of his labor.
“When I came from Illinois, I was just planting whatever I had in my yard, and nothing worked,” she says. “I took a Master Gardener class at Colorado State University and overcame that challenge. Most people join the club to figure out what to plant, but our mission is to help them.”
The Garden Club Tour is a self-guided tour that allows participants to spend as much time as they like at five different locations. Each garden has a guide on-site to answer questions, as well as artists and musicians.
Tickets are $25 and free for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased online at the Evergreen Garden Club 2024 Tour or at check-in at EFR (1802 Bergen Parkway) on July 20 at 9 a.m.
Public gardens that benefit from the tours and are maintained by the club are located at the Evergreen Metro Water Department, Hiwan Homestead Museum, Bergen Park Traffic Circle, Evergreen Fire/Rescue Training Center on Bergen Parkway, Evergreen Post Office, Evergreen Library and the Evergreen Metro District.
The Evergreen Garden Club donates funds to Evergreen Christian Outreach and also holds an annual food drive.
