By Mary James.
March Garden Tours
This year's Spring Garden tour season offers two excellent opportunities to view a diverse selection of gardens in San Diego county:
Borrego Desert Garden Tour, March 16, 9:00a.m.-3:00p.m
The first garden tour is in Borrego Springs and benefits the Anza-Borrego Desert National History Association (ABDNHA). Plan to purchase tickets to this popular tour early as it is sure to draw crowds eager to tour desert gardens and view the predicted wildflower superbloom.
Seven gardens (and two of the homes they surround) are featured on the Borrego Desert Garden Tour on March 16, 9:00a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Vistitors will have the opportunity to view a collector’s cactus and rock garden, a date ranch where the 70 fruiting palms are hand-pollinated and a colorful desert garden surrounding a Tuscan-style home.
Tickets are $30 ($20 for ABDNHA members). A special garden tour lunch at Rams Hill Restaurant is $20. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit abdnha.org.
This website, along with borregoblooms.org, also includes updates and maps for wildflower viewing.
ABDNHA’s Desert Nature Center, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, also has maps and garden tour tickets.
Seaside Native Plan Tour, March 31, 2:00 p.m.
Closer to home, the 17th Annual Seaside Native Plant Tour on March 31 visits 18 front yard native plant gardens on its free walking tour. All are located in Oceanside’s historic Seaside neighborhood, where native plant experts and residents will be available to answer your questions.
Sponsors are the Oceanside Coastal Neighborhood Association and the Buena Vista Native Plant Club. The tour begins at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s School parking lot, 515 Wisconsin Ave, where maps and plant lists will be available for a small donation. Lemonade and cookies will be for sale along the 1½-mile route. Details are available on the Buena Vista Plant Club website.