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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, June 5, 2013 | 14 Annual garden tour is inspiring and informative By Christine Davis Advertorial Gardening enthusiasts seeking entrance to some of Oakville's most beautiful gardens will have their opportunity on Sunday, June 9 as the Oakville Horticultural Society hosts the event, which has been held for four decades. "We have been active in Oakville for over 50 years," explains Oakville Horticultural Society member and garden tour convener, Christine Lee and "we have a long history of supporting various community projects." Through the Garden Gate, the garden tour, is one of the major fundraisers and provides residents and visitors of Oakville with the opportunity to peruse private gardens not generally open to the public. "The gardens we choose are inspirational," she says enthusiastically. "They may be big or small gardens and together they show the diversity in the level of gardening in Oakville." The spectrum of gardens run the gamut from those created and maintained by the homeowners to those gardens professionally designed and maintained. Lee also says that the gardens showcase how residents of Oakville can cope with some of the biggest local gardening challenges. In addition to being inspirational, the garden tour is also informative. "One garden will have a master gardener on duty all day to answer questions," Lee says, adding that a couple of other mas- This Oakville Horticultural Society member's garden, included in this year's garden tour, features various Japanese maples introduced in the last eight years to provide interest through all season with different leaf colours in spring, summer and fall. Photos by Stuart Gough ter gardeners will be working in shifts at some of the other gardens. "So write down your questions," she advises, and you can take this opportunity for a free consultation. Plant lists, and in some cases designs, will be available for reference. Lee says this helps visitors identify the flowers and foliage they like in a garden so they can plant them in their own garden. "This tour is perfect for residents who are looking for ideas about what they can do with their gardens." The tour is an opportunity to choose ideas they like from the gardens on the tour, or aspects of the gardens, and apply the principles to their own. This year, Lee is thrilled that three of the Society's members have graciously opened their gardens for the tour, one of whom has been a member since 1975. All provide beautiful examples of how passionate gardeners can create a private space to be enjoyed from the back porch, a comfortable lawn chair or looking out through the windows. Funds raised from garden tour ticket sales go towards community initiatives. Since 1957 the Oakville Horticulture Society has worked to stimulate interest in gardening, encouraged the beautification of both public and private properties and has sought to protect the community's natural areas. For example, the non-profit organization has helped install and maintain garden areas at the hospital and hospices and donated time and money to encourage young people to learn about horticulture and care for the environment. The award winning Junior Gardening Program provides an opportunity for children to learn how to plant and cultivate gardens from spring through the fall. Enjoy the beauty of late spring gardens while supporting the community. Tickets for the garden tour are just $15 and purchasers can choose the order in which they view the gardens, located from west to east Oakville, south of Lakeshore and north of the QEW, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 9. For more information about the garden tour and tickets, visit www.oakvillehort.org or email ohs.gardentour@oakvillehort.org. A predominantly shade garden in its third summer covers nearly two-thirds of an acre in south-east Oakville in this year's garden tour. An inviting setting for the butterflies, bees and dragonflies has been established in the garden featuring an assortment of Japanese maples.