'Gardens In Bloom' Tour Will Spotlight Six Incredible Local Gardens
discover beautiful traditional and whimsical gardens at Eau Claire Garden Club’s biennial tour
Born from the simple love of gardening, the Eau Claire Garden Club's “Gardens In Bloom” tour has become a can’t-miss for many. After its first run in 2018, the event – a one-day multi-garden tour, spotlighting Eau Claire gardens of just about every variety – has returned several times, and benefits a larger cause.
Making its return on Saturday, July 19, this year’s Gardens In Bloom tour will run from 9am-3pm and feature six gardens. All are host to native plants, but that may be the only thing they have in common. Attendees will fawn over the guardian of one participating garden: a seven-foot dragon sculpture made of metal; a tranquil garden that has been nurtured for 40 years; a truly impressive space with a koi pond, repurposed metal art, and a beautiful combination of annuals and perennnials; and more.
Held every other year, Eau Claire Garden Club President Ginger Slota said there is always a mix of brand-new attendees and returning faces. Some people have told the club they plan their summer travels around the Gardens In Bloom tour, just so they don’t miss out on the biennial event, Slota said.
Not only does this year's Gardens In Bloom tour offer the opportunity to bask in the beauty of otherwise private, stunning garden spaces, it also supports the club and its grant program.
Each garden will have a special component and educational aspect, demonstrating the club’s mission to promote the enjoyment of gardening to the community and offer education. The latter is why all gardens featured on the tour are also home to native plants.
“The importance (of native plants) is, these plants provide nutrition and homes for pollinators, insects, and animals,” Slota said. “If we don’t take care of them, they will be negatively affected.”
Slota recommended Nature’s Best Hope, a novel by Douglas W. Tallamy, that speaks to the decline in biodiversity, the importance of native plants, and what individuals can do to support and create wildlife-friendly habitats – even beginning in one’s own backyard. The novel was selected as the focus of L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library’s 2023 One Book, One Community program.
The Eau Claire Garden Club Grant (not to be confused with the Public Gardens Fund, an Eau Claire Community Foundation fund distributed by the club and E.C. Area Master Gardener Association) has spread the love of gardening by awarding grants of $100-$200 to area organizations, largely funded by the Gardens In Bloom tour ticket sales. This year, the club will award a total $2,100 in grants to several recipients, Slota said.
Last year, the club's grant program supported the Dunn County Jail Garden, Slota said; The jail’s garden produced about 1,700 pounds of food, which benefited an area food pantry.
Additionally, the club participates in community projects about every other year, with 2024’s project benefiting Eau Claire’s Beacon House. Slota and Lyn Krochmalski originally planned to offer their assistance in improving and expanding the family shelter’s few outdoor plants. Thanks to more support from club members and community members – including folks from Royal Construction and the Chippewa Valley Electrical Contractors – the shelter’s private patio area received flowers and plants, a sandbox, a shade sail, and more.
Not only does this year’s Gardens In Bloom tour offer the opportunity to bask in the beauty of otherwise private, stunning garden spaces, it also supports the club and its grant program.
So, mark your calendars! Tickets to this year’s Gardens In Bloom tour are $20/person and will be available at Festival Foods locations in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls beginning June 1.
The Gardens In Bloom tour will take place 9am-3pm on Saturday, July 19 • Tickets are $20/person and will be available at Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls Festival Foods locations beginning June 1 • Learn more about the Eau Claire Garden Club at eauclairegardenclub.com and keep up with the group on Facebook (@ecgardenclub)
