Inspiring valley gardeners and educating gardening lovers to Wood River Valley plant life, the Sawtooth Botanical Garden will present its 14th annual Garden Tour in west Ketchum and Warm Springs neighborhoods. The self-guided tour will feature seven private gardens.
The tour is a large fundraising event for the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, with over 400 patrons participating. The tour will take place Saturday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature artists and musicians in addition to gardeners, who will be available to answer questions.
The tour will begin at the home of Kelle Weston and Parker Bryan. Weston is a professional seamstress and has passed on her passion for fabric into her garden, weaving various shapes and colors throughout the space. The garden is known in the neighborhood for its unique Nashiki variegated willows and recently planted drought-tolerant perennials at the end of the driveway, taking advantage of the hot, dry microclimate.
The second stop is at the home of Lynn and Barry Welker. The Welkers' secret garden in west Ketchum is filled with lush vines of clematis, climbing roses and the sweet aroma of lavender. Lynn experiments with plants she has seen while traveling in northern Europe, incorporating those such as sorrel and caraway from trips to Alsace-Lorraine and evening primrose from a garden she spotted in Germany.
The next garden stop is in Northwood at the home of Geoff and Alison Rusack. Along the Big Wood River with majestic views of Bald Mountain, this garden is an oasis. The aspen grove at the front of the driveway sets the tone for this landscape, which pays homage to our natural mountain flora with well-manicured accents. Groundcovers and an array of shade-loving plants, including hosta, columbine, lady's mantle and bleeding hearts, are highlighted throughout the landscape.
Around the corner in Northwood is Janet and Roger DeBard's garden. The various gardens on this property are all unique, but blend together in color and plant repetition to create a sense of harmony. Janet is an artist, and her love for art can be found throughout the garden in their incredible collection of garden sculpture.
The fifth garden featured is at the home of Kathleen and James Britt. This jaw-dropping garden paradise has been a masterpiece garden for the past 16 years. The backyard terraced perennial garden hosts blue Himalayan poppies, Oriental peonies, daylilies and roses. The most recent garden was designed by Jon Wilkes of Branching Out Nursery and installed in 2008.
A picnic lunch with a choice of hamburgers, Adelle's sausages, hotdogs, chips, cookies and soda will be available for purchase in the Britt garden.
The sixth garden is where Lila and Jack Corrock built their home in 1974 on what at the time was an alfalfa field. They put in a vegetable garden and began planting flowers and small trees. Lila planted her garden over the years with her main design guideline of spring blooms and fall color, as well as to provide an excellent bird habitat.
About eight miles past the Warm Springs ski lifts, and well worth the drive, is the garden of Lisa Vierling and Michael Stoneback. Growing roses at high altitude is a challenge, but they bloom marvelously in this garden. Hot springs flow on the property and all the plants are watered with sulfur water.
The last stop on the tour is the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. The five-acre public garden showcases native and drought-tolerant perennials, xeriscaping, wildflowers, community vegetable gardens and the award-winning Garden of Infinite Compassion.
Tickets, $35 for members and $45 for non-members, may be purchased at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, on the corner of Highway 75 and Gimlet Road just south of Ketchum, during local farmers' markets or at Chapter One Bookstore in Ketchum. They are also on sale the day of the tour at each garden location.
The tour may be started at any of the gardens. Maps are available in advance and may be downloaded at http://www.sbgarden.org/special.html or picked up at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.
Participants are encouraged to carpool or ride bikes. Water and restroom facilities will be available along the tour. For details call 726-9358.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Wild flowers fill many gardens in the Wood River Valley. Express Photo by Paulette Phlipot
