Hidden Garden Tour

Glen and I love garden tours.  We try to find one each year to attend.  This year, for the first time, we enjoyed the Hidden Garden Tour in Utah.  We took our visitors with us hoping that they would enjoy it, too.  They did even though they were the youngest tour participants we encountered

This tour was sponsored by master gardeners and this year took place in southeast Salt Lake County mostly in Draper and Sandy.  Next year it will move to Utah County.

All the gardens were lovely.  The first we visited was near or on land once owned by Glen's grandfather in Draper.

The second was a short walk from Relation Street where Glen vacationed each and every summer as a California boy.

Great gardens are all about texture. . .

Beautiful garden rooms . . .

Great vistas . . .

Garden art . . .

And hidden places.

Many of these homes were in the foothills of the mountains with great views.

It was interesting to see how vegetable gardens were integrated into the overall design.

Another outdoor room.

Unexpected treasure.

Glen stands at the entrance to the "clematis garden."  Roses bloom profusely in June in Utah.  Real eye candy!

Ah, a peony!

Different varieties throughout the garden.  So colorful with big blooms.

We found these monkeys in the green house at La Caille.

La Caille is a magical place at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

They had a hydroponic garden in the greenhouse.  La Caille is a restaurant/events center.  They were growing these herbs for the use of their chefs.

They also had a large vineyard, orchard, and vegetable garden.  The goal, food grown on location.

Beautiful events structure.

There is just something about glass houses.

Loved the chandelier.

We ate lunch on the patio by the fish pond.

The grounds are lovely.

Little Cottonwood Creek.

Man made waterways.

The front of the chateau inspired restaurant.

With a bench for the girls.

Glen loved this garden, a definite grandpa garden.

The backyard had three tiers.

The middle tier had a train layout.

Grand kid magic.

Garden gates.

Zen spots next to the vegetable gardens.

White picket fences and bird houses.

There was even a guest house.

Behind the guest house on the most upper tier was an in ground pool and a play court for basketball and tennis.  The first tier next to the house had a beautiful grape vine covered patio with a green lawn just perfect for garden parties.

Our last stop was a cabin in the city.

It had its own waterwheel

with charming cottage and fish pond.

There was a large brick patio

with views of the valley.

Years ago the owners had gone to Montana to harvest logs from a large wildfire.  They and their now grown children then built this home as a family on acreage at the end of a long lane.

Just look at that fireplace.  This was one spot where I would like to have been on a home tour, too.

This was my favorite stop.  I loved these climbing roses called "Fireworks."  We didn't make it to every home garden.  Glen had also promised the girls Park City and the Alpine Slide.