By Mary James.
In addition to SDHS’s annual tour, six other garden tours crowd the month of April.
Weekend of April 7th and 8th
Sharing Saturday, April 7th with SDHS is the Bernardo Gardeners Club Spring Garden Tour, with stops in five gardens in Rancho Bernardo and Poway. One features a collection cycads, rare ferns, staghorn ferns, and orchids. Hours are 10 AM to 3 PM Tickets are $20 and available at Walter Andersen Nursery, Poway, through April 6.
16th Annual Native Plant Garden Tour: The next day, Sunday, April 8th, take a stroll around Oceanside’s historic Seaside neighborhood where eighteen front-yard native plant gardens will be on view. Start this free tour at St. Mary, Star of the Sea School. Lemonade and cookies will be for sale along the 1½-mile route. This event is co-sponsored by the Oceanside Coastal Neighborhood Association and Buena Vista Audubon.
Weekend of April 14th and 15th
Native Gardens for Beauty and Sustainability: On Saturday and Sunday, April 14th and 15th, the San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society welcomes visitors to visit twenty-one residential landscapes in North County, spanning from Encinitas to Escondido. Twelve nearby public and non-residential gardens are also included on this tour. Tickets are $25 online and for an additional $10, tour-goers can explore Sky Mountain Permaculture, a seven-acre water harvesting demonstration site.
Weekend of April 21st and 22nd
The Point Loma Garden Walk returns with a Saturday, April 21st tour to eight gardens in the Wooded Area of Point Loma. Included is an Asian garden by pioneering San Diego landscape architect Kenneth Hayashi that surrounds a mid-century modern masterwork by the late architect Russell Forester. This popular tour also features a marketplace with hand-crafted garden accents, jewelry, and more. Tickets are available online for $30; proceeds benefit Craniofacial programs at Rady Children’s Hospital.
The City of Coronado and the Coronado Floral Association present the annual Coronado Flower Show, Let the Good Times Grow, the weekend of April 21st and 22nd. Visitors will enjoy exhibits and entertainment under a big tent in Spreckels Park in addition to viewing award-winning front yard gardens in a drive-by tour around the community. Tickets are $5 per day, with children twelve and under free.
Weekend of April 28th and 29th
Wrapping up the month, the Ramona Garden Club holds its tour of five East County gardens on Saturday, April 28th. In the mix are a Western-themed garden and a four-acre garden devoted to exotic succulents. Tickets are $20 and for sale on tour day at the Ramona Library, where the Club's Plant and Craft Sale will be held.