Seven unique, colorful private gardens around LaPlata County are busy putting final touches on their gardenscapes in preparation for over 100 visitors this weekend. The Durango Botanical Society’s Gardens-on-Tour has returned in 2019 and it promises to be one of the best tours yet. Tour registrants will see some of the area’s most interesting home gardens as well as seeing first-hand how our new Arboreta at the library are evolving. 

Tour participants will begin their day with registration on the south side portico of the library where they will receive wristbands, in lieu of tickets, brochures and maps and other materials for the gardens they will be visiting.  Hoping to alleviate overcrowding at one or two early stops, visitors will be assigned a beginning garden at random. 

Durango Botanical Society members have been polishing up their gardens, including the Demonstration Garden, the Crevice Gardens, the Gabbro Miniature Garden and the new gardens comprising the Arboreta on the north side of the library.

Did you know there are hundreds of varieties of thyme? You'll get a hint of this hardy herb's various incarnations with a new addition to the gardens in 2019--a time-keeping sundial decorated with twelve varieties of thyme, one within each of the hourly segments. Above, members of the Mountain Thyme Herb Society stand in front of the Mountain Thyme Clock they have donated to the Durango Botanical Society. The Mountain Thyme Herb Society will also maintain the clock and plantings going forward, perhaps assuring its keeps perfect thyme.   

As a tribute to the amazing community service rendered by firefighters during last year’s 416 Fire, DBS will donate 10% of all proceeds to the Durango Fire Protection District. Firemen will be at many gardens to discuss fire mitigation strategies.

We’re just a few days away from this don’t-miss event. Visit our web site now to register for this annual highlight of the gardening calendar https://durangobotanicalsociety.com