25th Annual Chico Garden Tour - May 3rd, 2008
( If you are reading this anywhere but my blog, you can find the original post here. )
On Saturday May 3rd, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chico will host its 25th annual Chico Garden Tour. Twenty-five years of preparing for and producing a garden party extraordinaire is no mean feat. I met with Becky Thompson last week to go over the history of the tour and the inspiration behind it. Later, Carol Sprague, an early and consistent St. John’s parishioner, Garden Tour Committee Member and tour volunteer recorded the show segment with me in the studio. Ultimately, what is made clear by both women is the deep loyalty that St. John’s parishioners have to the tour, and how much of a “parish-family” effort the tour is.
Becky Thompson has been on the Garden Tour Committee since 1985, when one of her friends brought her skill and enthusiasm into the fledgling idea. Thompson notes wryly that she has subsequently been the Garden Tour Chairperson since 1996. And while she has been in personal attendance on every tour heretofore, this year she had to choose between the tour and her son’s graduation from college. You will all be glad to know that she chose her son’s graduation, and that the other men, women and children of St. John’s will be holding down the fort without her on May 3rd.
“The tour started as a group of women who liked to garden, inviting each other over for an early summer tea party in their gardens. It evolved into a garden party for the parish and in time to the public Garden Tour that we know today. Each year we get between 850 – 1000 ticket holders. It’s amazing - and requires the entire parish of St. John’s to come together and work very hard.” Thompson goes on to laughingly tell me that when the church motto reads: to pray and work together, they are not exaggerating. All of the St. John’s youth groups are involved in the effort, often earning a portion of the tour proceeds to go toward their own endeavors, such as charitable trips to other areas of the world. And by the day of the tour each year - there is hardly a parishioner who has not helped in some way.
“While the tour is a major fundraiser for the parish,” Thompson tells me, “the fund raising is never the focus or the goal. The goal is to have the parish community come together to share their love of our parish and their love of gardens.” The tour proceeds go not only to supporting St. John’s Episcopal Church and its programs, but each year the parish is committed to helping the wider community and the parish votes on additional community programs that they would like to support. Lat year the following organizations benefit from the St. John’s Annual Chico Garden Tour: Youth And Family Programs
Salvation Army
Catalyst
Esplanade House
Jesus Center
Passages
Torres Community Center
Women Build (Habitat For Humanity)
After 25 years, it is not always easy to find 5 great gardens for the tour, admits Thompson, “but somehow it all comes together. We get referrals from our parish members, local nurseries and the greater community, and it works out. Some years – like this one – a huge weather event will effect the gardens on the tour,” but again she goes on: “These are gardeners we’re talking about – they make opportunity out of adversity and the tour works. “On our side,” she says, “We are sometimes scouting gardens for next year before this year’s tour is over. And at the same time, the gardening public is looking forward to each year.”
The Chico Garden Tour is on May 3rd from 11 am – 4:00 pm. The tickets include entrance to the Plant Boutique at St. John’s Church starting at 10:30 and a lovely lunch in the St. John ‘s Sanctuary. Ticket holders have rotating and staggered starts so that not everyone starts at the same garden or eats lunch at the same time. This year’s five gardens will feature some Mediterranean plantings, an all-white garden, a Koi pond and a folk-art inspired garden. Tickets are $20.00 and available at Chico Creek Gardens, Christian & Johnson, Fostine’s Nursery, The Gifted Garden, Katherine’s Cottage, Little Red Hen Gift Shop and The Little Red Hen Therapeutic Nursery, Mendon’s Nursery in Paradise, Pip’s Printing, Zucchini & Vine and St. John’s Church Office.
As we sat in in her garden going over the long and lovely history of the Garden Tour, I asked: “So how many times has your garden been on the tour?” Thompson laughed and replied: “I told the committee from the start that they could have me or my garden – but not both – I just can’t stretch that far!”
For more information on the this or future garden tours, contact Becky Thompson: BeckyT3031@comcast.net - after May 3rd.
***Other Garden tours events Coming up in the Northstate ****
April 26 – Redding Whole Earth Festival Booths, food, and activities to inspire commitment, build community, and have fun! Event Contact:
530-243-2403 reddingearthday2008@yahoo.com
April 26 and April 27 - Chico: Chico Bonsai Society Annual Show at CARD – 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information: http://www.chicobonsai.org/Events.htm.
April 27 - Chico: Native Plant Garden Tour - 10 am – 4 pm. Featuring 7 Native plant gardens and nurseries. Donation: $8.00 for adults. The tour will also include Native plant interpreters at each site and the opportunity to buy plants, books and other native plant items. For more information: Contact Mike Williams at (530) 343-8240 or wyethiaearthlink.net for additional information.
April 26 - Cottonwood Garden Club, 530- 347-3852;
April 27 - Folsom Garden Club 916-987-0604;
May 10 - Lewiston Garden Club tour, art and quilt show, 778-3307
May 17 - Shasta Rose Society Rose Garden Tour 16th Annual Garden Tour, Boutique and Plant Sale, featuring 5 local gardens -10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission: $10. More information: 530-378-2567, 530-221-1852
tastarr@charter.net
June 1 - Shasta Lake Garden Project garden tour and English Tea. 530- 275-3360;
June 7 - Paradise Garden Club tour, 530- 877-4242.