Garden tour musts: drink lots of water, and wear a hat!

I recently attended one day of a weekend-long garden tour. This event takes place every two years, and is a major fundraiser for the University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners.

This year, 32 gardens were on the tour, most of them private. Here are some photos from the gardens I visited.

Little Neck Farm

We arrived early at “Little Neck Farm” in Narragansett, because we knew the beach traffic would be horrendous. (It was) This garden is actually a series of garden rooms, punctuated by several water features.

In this garden, called “Bottled Beauty,” the gardener has lined the paths with a great many bottles of different sizes and colors. The effect is quite pleasing- and very eco-friendly!

An interesting idea

The theme of this garden is “Cozy Cottage Charm.” We all loved the birdhouse with the green roof.

Why not?

Here’s a view of the “cottage” itself. Charming, isn’t it?

I was tempted to spend the afternoon on that wicker sofa.

The last garden we visited, “Sun Rose Farm,” was vast – by my standards anyway. This gardener defined the different areas in various ways, creating diverse moods throughout her large property. I loved this circle, defined by sweeping lavender borders.

Cool!

We simply couldn’t manage to visit more gardens after this one. We were just too hot and tired! I will leave you with one more shot, taken at the “Cozy Cottage” garden. I can’t resist a good clematis.

Nothing like blue and yellow against a white fence. That rudbeckia is "Prairie Sun."