Don't Miss the Garden Tour!

Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society’s 2014 Garden Tour was a success thanks to home owners Tim and Mary Andersen, Don and Arlene Benson, Dennis Houoihan and Mike Coleman, Jo Ann Levine, Susan Schroeder, Polly Sholl, the Cutler Group staff, Betty Ashbaker, Garden Tour chairperson, and all the volunteer docent friends of the society. Several hundred families spent a day or two taking photographs and gathering gardening ideas for their own home gardens. Visitors took advantage of the opportunity to photograph and jot down ideas of everything from blooming Atropurpureums to colorful Zinnas. Photography was not limited to flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees. Camera buffs caught rare shots of a hummingbird nested in a patio cover light fixture, old bed springs recycled to make plant pot holders, an actual bed of flowers, and enough other creative and unusual ideas to fill a scrapbook. Guests at the garden of Don and Arlene Benson made themselves at home, as they wandered through a whimsical garden while being entertained by original music and vocals by musical group "The Quart," made up of Jeff Ashbaker, Joe Ashbaker, Alonzo Blackwell, and Dale Honeycutt. Each of the seven gardens was unique to the other gardens on the tour, making it a plant lover’s and photographer’s dream experience. The Cutler Group Building hosted Redlands' Camera Club's floral photo display, gardens, and drawing of gift baskets donated by the Cherry Valley Nursery, Parkview Nursery, Above the Stem Floral Studio, City Florist, Hockridge Florist & Wedding Boutique, Wild Flowers Plants and Gifts, Brian’s Live Bee Removal Service, University of Redlands, Citrograph Printing Co., and Collective Journey Scrapbooks. The Redlands Art Association displayed a collection of floral art by local artists. At the RHIS Plant Yard, new and returning customers filled their car trunks and back seats with over 1500 rare and unusual plants, shrubs, and trees, all donated to and propagated by the Plant Yard crew. Once a week, the RHIS volunteers collect and propagate donated plants for the semiannual Spring and Fall plant sale. The eagerly awaited sales provide the public an opportunity to purchase a wonderful selection of uncommon and healthy additions to their home gardens. Watch for the Fall plant sale in October!