It is a week since Cranbrook’s 27th annual Open Garden Day run by Cranbrook Garden Club. In the U.K. The National Garden Scheme, where private gardens are opened for public viewing has been a 98 year long, nation-wide, multi-season activity and the idea inspired me to start something similar but on a very much smaller scale, in Cranbrook. The idea was for gardeners to open their gardens both for enjoyment, inspiration and encouragement to those who found gardening in these conditions daunting at times. Gardeners were asked to volunteer their gardens and volunteer they have, every year. In fact many small towns in the area now also have Open Garden Days. Different gardens each year have provided inspiration and made one of the most popular days in the summer calendar. Proceeds from ticket sales have always gone to local beautification projects

Open Garden days provide such joy for both keen gardeners and those who appreciate the beauty of all that gardens offer. Gardening in a mountain town with a harsh climate and which has yet to benefit from generations of gardeners and farmers who have gone before to nurture the soil, is a strenuous and difficult hobby. It takes hard work to amend the raw soil, pick the rocks and build conditions suitable for growing. We live in The Rockies after all. In its short century of growing, this area has changed considerably especially in the area of home gardening. Much of our forested wilderness remains as it has been for centuries and although it bears the scars of logging it has not been used in in a massive way for large scale agriculture. Gardens on the other hand have grown with the population. Many home gardeners now grow productive food gardens and surround their homes with beautiful landscapes.

This article by Ian Cobb on eKnow provides a wonderful selection of photos from Cranbrook’s 27th Open Garden Day. It is followed by a few photos of my own.

Huge thanks go to all those who open their gardens and inspire us.