Has the heat got you down? Are you staring at your yard wondering how to keep it looking good for entertaining during the rest of summer and into fall? Visit Ripon and see what dedicated gardening homeowners have done to create landscapes that stand up to the heat, and look good as we transition into cooler weather.
On Saturday, Sept. 10, the Ripon Garden Club invites the public to its annual September Stroll from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nine beautiful gardens will be featured, including in town gardens, country properties, and the Ripon Community Garden.
Two properties overlook the Spring Creek Golf Course. “Golfers Retreat” showcases a low maintenance landscape optimizing the golf course view. Right next door, “Backyard Fun” emphasizes a yard designed for entertaining.
A short distance away, enjoy yards designed with privacy in mind. An English Tea Garden is the theme of one yard, with an eclectic mix of found objects representing the owners’ travels. Another features vegetables and herbs integrated into the landscape, ready for a “yard to fork” dining experience. In the “Backyard Oasis” a water fountain is the focal point of a low maintenance, but high interest yard. Step into an “Aloha Paradise” where you are transported to the tropics, with bright colors and abundant flowers and foliage.
A Mediterranean style drought tolerant front yard belies the lushness of a backyard showcasing an owner-built greenhouse, handmade doors, wood burning fireplace, and a soothing fountain. And be sure to stop by the Ripon Community Garden, which celebrates volunteers dedicated to providing a low cost way to grow fresh produce for families and the community. And finally, linger at a country estate designed with the Tuscan countryside in mind as you enjoy refreshments, a silent auction, and a chance to win some opportunity drawing prizes.
Tickets are $20 for adults, and $10 for children under 12 (available at any home the day of the tour). No strollers please. Buy adult tickets at: Morris Nursery in Riverbank, P&L Garden Center and Creative Water Gardens, both in Escalon, in addition to three locations in Ripon: Schempers’s Ace Hardware, Parks Greenhouse Nursery, and Silverado Building Materials and Nursery.
Also available at Westurf Nursery, Modesto; German Glass Emporium and New Buds Nursery, both in Manteca; and The Greenery, Turlock.
Garden Tour proceeds are returned to the Ripon community by way of: college scholarships, elementary school gardens, Ripon downtown planters, butterfly garden at Stouffer Park, Bethany Home and Beth Haven Senior Living Facilities/Memory Care Gardens.
Attendees should wear comfortable walking shoes for strolling on uneven terrain. For more information go to www.ripongardenclub.org or visit the Ripon Garden Club on Facebook.