Annual Garden Tour kicks off Saturday

The Garden Tour, shown here from last year's event, is a popular annual event in town.

The annual Mountain Home Garden Tour, "Through the Garden Gate," will be held this Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The tour will showcase several local gardens and conclude with an "after tour" garden party at the Basque Park, corner of N. 3rd West Street and W. 2nd North Street, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Tickets for the tour are $5, available in advance at Mountain Home Moxie Java, 390 American Legion Blvd., and the Common Ground coffee shop in the Mountain Home Library, 790 N. 10 East St., and at each garden on the day of the tour.

Gardens featured this year are:

* Howard and Susan Walker, 1415 N. 3rd East St.;

* Robert and Trudy Raub, 1310 N. 9th East St.;

* Patricia "Pat" Morgan, 1545 N. 14th East St.;

* Ray and Shelley Winkleman, 1745 E. 5th North St.;

* Jim and Cookie Alexander, 5149 N. 18th East St.;

Ralph and Dorothy Groefsma, 460 N. 15th East St.;

* Kelli Collette, 485 N. 4th East St.

On the day of the tour, a map to all the gardens is included in the tour brochure available at the homes listed.

Featured in one of the gardens this year will be a Master Gardener's Information Station. Mir Seyedbagheri, the Elmore County Extension Agent, along with some Master Gardeners, will be in attendance to answer gardening questions.

A special display on "Gardening With Children" will also be available in one of the gardens.

A storyboard depicting the Island Park beautification project (near the Albertson's entrance to the city) will also be displayed.

The garden party will include live and silent auctions, refreshments, student art quilt raffle, a Poker Run, door prizes and wine by Carmela Winery. Wines with a special Garden Tour label will be available for purchase.

MHHS student artists whose paintings appear on the quilt that will be raffled are: Lauren Jackson, Sierra Thomsberry, Devan Smith, Sadie Galloway, Daine Bradshaw, Allyson Jones, Kelsey Corcoran, Sheila Keck and Taylor Neveu. Garden Club members Barbara Hurt and Laurice Bentz made the quilt.

Some of the auction items at the "after tour" garden party will be: an airplane ride/breakfast to McCall or Jackpot for four people, donated by Jack Walborn; a Basque dinner by Goisalde Jausoro; a Dutch oven private instruction and dinner for six donated by Patti Walborn and Goisalde Jausoro; a tea or luncheon for 6-8 people donated by the Friends and Neighbors of Mountain Home, and donated art pieces by local artists.

The newly formed Mountain Home Garden Club will sponsor the tour in partnership with Beta Zeta Civic Club. The Garden Club's mission is: "To cultivate the appreciation of gardening and to assist with various local beautification projects".

Proceeds will help fund the landscaping of Island Park, the gateway to Mountain Home (near Albertson's).

For more information call 587-3379 or 587-5333.