Contra Costa Times
No green thumb is necessary to view the half-dozen diverse gardens featured on the 19th annual Clayton Gardens Tour.
"We try to get a variety," said Linda Cruz, chairwoman of the tour publicity committee. "We have three in Clayton and three in Concord, all within a five-mile radius."
Choosing which gardens will be on the tour is not always an easy task, as the number is limited and the committee always looks for one big garden, a small garden -- and most importantly for this water-rationed area -- one that is drought-tolerant, said tour chairwoman JoAnn Caspar.
Each year, landscape artist Nicole Hachette of R&M Pool Patio & Gardens proposes gardens for the committee to submit for the tour. This year there were nine submissions, but some years there have been as many as 15. Casper said those not selected this time will probably be on the tour next year.
The tour begins at the Clayton Historical Museum. Tickets are printed on the back of the brochure that not only contains a map for the self-guided tour, but has a description by Hackette of each garden. A different flower marks each garden on the tour.
Last year more than 300 people attended the garden tour -- the museum's biggest fundraiser -- and about $8,000 was raised. Caspar expects to have about the same number of people attend this year.
"At one time we had 700," recalled Caspar, "but now there are so many garden tours. Next year, we'll have been doing it for 20 years."
Longtime volunteer, and tour co-chairwoman, Linda Pinder's garden is the smallest and the last on the tour. She owns a Chaparral Springs townhouse with a garden about 800 square feet.
"I am the original landowner," said Pinder.
Since 1994 when she bought her home, eucalyptus trees and California pepper trees have grown tall, casting shadows over her small yard and creating challenges to find flowers that prefer shade to sun.
"It's a lot of trial and error," Pinder said.
And perseverance. She recalled planting one species three times with the help of a Master Gardener friend, who will be on site to answer any questions visitors may have.
"There will be a Master Gardener at each site to answer questions," Pinder said. "Two homeowners are Master Gardeners and they recruited eight friends who are also Master Gardeners to be docents."
In addition to showing off her small garden, Pinder is opening her home, serving refreshments and showing off her quilts. "I'll have 20. There will be 15 inside," she said. "The others will be outside on the fence."
In May 1998, Pinder completed her first quilt. Since then, she has made 135. Most of them she has given to friends and family as gifts, and she made a special garden-themed one for a tour raffle.
Those on the tour can buy raffle tickets for a selection of prizes donated by local businesses, which are available at the museum. Tickets are $1 each or six tickets for $5. All money raised will be used for the museum's Native and Historic Plant Garden.
Last year, the museum -- with help from the Clayton Valley Garden Club and the Volunteer Center of the East Bay -- completed the first phase of its interactive education resource for elementary students visiting from Clayton and Concord schools, noted Steve Lane, vice president of the Diablo Valley Garden Club, in its newsletter.
In phase one, the historical society received a $200 grant from the Volunteer Center of the East Bay, along with volunteers, to help plant the Native American garden.
In phase two, for which this year's garden tour funds will be used, the California native plant garden will be established, which serves as an educational demonstration of landscaping that requires little or no additional irrigation.
Phase three is the historical streetscape garden and will preserve the historical atmosphere of Clayton.
The historical society is the steward of the museum its surrounding grounds, and it was Clayton Museum Historical Society president Ted Meriam and curators Renee Wing and Mary Spryer who had the vision to turn the garden into something useful for the community.
