This summer, my sister and I decided to tour some of the finest gardens in our area. We agreed on the Oconomowoc Woman's Club Garden Tour since it was a good halfway point from where we each lived, and the proceeds would be given to charity. We were pleasantly surprised with a feeling of slipping back in time as we lingered at a relaxed pace in the warm sunshine. Instead of completing task after task on a typical Saturday, we enjoyed conversations with those around us while we sipped freshly squeezed lemonade provided by our hosts.
I had a hard time believing that viewing six Lake Country properties would take six hours! But I was pleasantly proven wrong! Each stop along the tour offered intriguing walkways, stunning flowers, full bushes, and decorative trees that wound throughout the yards. Although my sister and I both enjoy embellishing our yards, the pairing of colors, textures, and design reminded us of the dedication and time spent to create the masterpieces in front of us.
I had not expected to see so much lawn art! Some, quite comical, like water flowing from a frog’s lips into a collection basin below or two black polka-dotted bugs chasing each other under a bush. The cottage-like garden sheds, a teardrop wicker chair that hung from an enormous tree, and quaint seating areas tucked in corners of the yards were equally impressive.
What I appreciated the most were all the one-on-one conversations with the homeowners. For whatever reason, I thought they would be out of sight and their homes buttoned up. But, instead, many were milling around their properties, offering finger sandwiches and crisp veggies to their guests. They answered our questions about particular trees that caught our attention or shared their vision for a grouping of gorgeous plants, opening our eyes to the very same possibilities for our own property. Our heads soon began to spin with all we could accomplish.
As we navigated the tour, we noticed that many sites included outdoor lights strung above our heads, creating a cozy nightscape. It didn’t take much imagination to picture ourselves enjoying our own spaces, a glass of wine in hand.
Of course, I took way too many pictures to share and tons of notes, but I hope you get a flavor of our fantastic day. If you haven’t indulged in a day of taking in the beauty and peacefulness of a garden tour, you might want to give it a try. It just might influence your own backyard as it has ours.
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