Rimbey and Area Garden Tour creator Lorrain Morris is excited for the second year of this event.
Many people are participating this year by showcasing their gardens around the community.
“This year we have seven host gardeners participating.”
The number of gardens this year is the same as last year, said Morris.
But the number of people that come out to view the gardens may be different this year.
“Last year we had 125 people come to visit.”
Morris really enjoyed the success of the tour last year and created this event for the benefit of the community.
“This was my great idea to get people outside and enjoy a walk about during highs of COVID and I feel it’s very good for their mental health. It’s also a nice way for someone to enjoy their day and that’s how it all came about.”
People who attended last year were delighted, said Morris.
“They had questions about flowers and different perennials. They got to taste fresh tomatoes from a greenhouse. It was just so enjoyable and I kept getting emails and cards for months afterwards.”
The tour is based on an open house, said Morris.
“It’s a tour for the pure enjoyment of viewing gardens and asking questions. Maybe down the road more activities can be added but this year we had to keep it simple to apply with AHS.”
Being able to share the love of gardening during the event also makes it a learning experience as well as a lovely day to enjoy, said Morris.
“People ask questions and get ideas for their own gardens. Even for me sometimes there was some plant I didn’t have a name for last year and a senior lady was able to tell me what it was.”
None of the people who show off their gardens are professional gardeners and this is not a competition, said Morris.
“These are just like-minded individuals who have mutual green thumbs. Some of the gardens are quite small but there is one on our tour that is very expansive and probably takes an hour to go through.”
People have from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 22nd and Saturday, July 24th to view the gardens during the Rimbey and Area Garden Tour.
People can also contact Lorrain Morris if they have any questions regarding the event at lmorris4@telusplanet.net or by calling 780-305-4858.