Hidden Garden Tour 2014

One thing about Utah summers is that there is an abundance of things to do.  One must pick and choose most weekends.  Every town has their own "Days," parades abound, the mountains call, and the gardens have rebounded nicely from winter.  Last Saturday, we attend the Hidden Garden Tour.  It rotates between Salt Lake and Utah Counties and this year it was in northern Utah County.  I loved the female scarecrow and beautiful English style garden we found in Lehi.

During this tour, I learned that when they are doing roadwork through the canyons, one can get permits to collect rocks.  This rock lined vegetable garden was so cute.  Those are strawberries in the foreground.

At this home, all of the wood had come from the owner's family farm and her husband did all of the carpentry.

Another view of the garden.

And the husband built white picket fence which went through the middle of the front yard and was lined with roses.

Sometimes you can make your backyard feel like the mountains.

This garden in Alpine came very close.  It included aspen and evergreen trees.

That is Glen in the background and this picture gives you a sense of the scale of this place.

A little creek water feature began by the corner of the house and continued down to the bottom of the lot.

The wife had 14 bird houses on display throughout the garden.

Even the garden shed was designed to mimic the bird houses.  Notice the boulders, they are also canyon project boulders.  There were over fifty truck loads of boulders through out this garden.

Sometimes a dead tree and bird house are art.

Noticeably, the south side of the garden was left treeless.  Thus, they have a view of Utah Lake and sun enough to grow giant pumpkins.

A fireplace and deck tucked in an out of the way space.  Notice the shadows from the strings of lights.

A water fall where the small creek ends.

A very appropriate flower box.

 This house was one of the last homes up the mountain in Alpine.  I loved the creative mailbox,

the entrance way,

 and the front door.

Sweet little herb and flower garden. 

The back of the property was very hilly and the owners had created terraces for planting.

The vegetable garden terrace.

Further up the mountain side, there lived four pygmy goats and two llamas.  They use the dung to help fertilize and they stated that the deer seem to be repelled by said dung.  So if the deer are eating everything that you plant, buy a llama.

Cutest little goat shed ever.

The next garden in Alpine was back on flat land and the owners were named Jensen, too!  They had the best pergola.  It had four, yes four, bench swings!

And a fun master gardener with Lynette.  The mater gardeners are placed at each garden and can answer most of your questions.

I loved these flowers and I have already forgotten the name.

Lovely pergola.

Vegetable garden in the back.

And a recreated cabin.

It was filled with antique Scandinavian furniture.  Yes, the root of our Jensen name as well.

It was lovely and reminded me of the cabin on Conant Creek at Finlandia Ranch.

I could imagine myself spending some time in this sweet room.

View back toward main home.

And garden out front.  The property was next to a working farm and their plot also had chickens and a small corral for the cow.

Loved it!

A newer craftsman home with a great walkway to the entrance in Cedar Hills.

Dining space in the backyard.

And that arch in the background was covered with these beautiful scented roses.

I loved the vegetable garden space in Highland.  All of the retaining walls were of simple materials which could be easily moved.

It was also filled with miniature garden spaces.

Which included a miniature peach tree.

Even the cinder block spaces were planted.

The garden ladies club.

Clematis vine.

Fairy land.  She also had a rainbow garden along the front yard picket fence which began with white blooms and slowly changed color ending in red.

The next home was truly trying to grow food in their garden.  I took this picture because I loved how they had incorporated a sandbox into the garden.

Their garden boxes.  Those are tomatoes in the background just bursting out of their water jackets.  Proof that if you want your tomatoes earlier, it can be done.

Entrance to the fruit tree portion of their yard.

An amazing green house.  They also had potted citrus which spends the winter months in the green house.  These are pictures of my favorites.  I did not take pictures of every garden but all were worthy of a walk on a beautiful day in June.

And on the way home I stopped in north Orem to pick up the finishing kit for my Saturday Sampler at American Quilting.  I took this picture of the finished quilt in the store.  How cute is that?!!!!  I've decided to put it away until mid-July and will work on it after all the company is gone and trips have been taken.  Can't wait!