It was lemonade and shade weather on the day of the bi-annual highlight of the gardening season, the Williams Lake Garden Club Garden and Arts Tour on July 6.
The event featured the usual range of gardening delights, from massive purple clematis blooms in the garden of Margret Menzies, where she has been gardening for about 20 years, to hen and chicks in creative and clever displays in the garden of Wanda and Phill Ranson. Menzies said when she began her garden, it was all grass, now the yard is a cool refuge in the summer heat, full of colour.
The garden of Graham and Ayrilee McCoubrey provided visitors with an introduction to hügelkultur, which layers different organics to provide a self-feeding garden bed perfect for vegetables.
Austin, Paola and family's boulevard garden showcased a themed garden on public property at the mailboxes, and even included a framed Efteen article on display helping tell the story of the garden space.
The garden of Llona and Bunny Godin showcased what can be done with years of heavy lifting, as the couple, with the help of their sons, built an incredible oasis using blocks and rocks.
Having spent 31 years on the property, they said when they arrived the yard was a steep bank and a lot of junk. One gift certificate for Fred and Jerry's blocks started the building of retaining walls, and the highlight is now a stone waterfall.
While the Tribune did not manage to get to all of the 11 gardens, the ones visited were wonderful.
Art and musicians were on display at gardens, and visitors could linger, looking at flowers and a number of the gardens included bicycle features, some of their own and some from Streets for All Williams Lake's promotional art bikes for Go By Bike Week.
It was another wonderful way to spend a summer Saturday, and the event was organized by volunteers from the Williams Lake Garden Club and was open to the public by donation. Proceeds were going towards the Seniors Recreation Centre's garden box project.
