On July 18, the Falcon Garden Club held its annual garden tour at various membersí homes throughout Falcon. Here is a look at the gardens on this yearís tour.Hilaireís Casa Ladera GardensOverlooking Corral Bluffs, the Hilaire garden has two separate areas: a cactus garden wrapping around the exterior of the house and a courtyard garden within the courtyard walls. The cactus garden needs little tending or watering; the courtyard garden is more labor-intensive. Owner Jackie Hilaire said the pond is 4 feet deep and is filtered through a bog at one end that sits on 4 feet of pea gravel. Feeder goldfish enjoy the water and can be a tempting food source for the occasional raccoon, she said. Usually, Hilaire said she would allow visitors to walk through the rest of the courtyard garden but the plant growth caused by heavy rains has hidden the path through the garden.
Thompsonís Behind the Garden GateLocated in Woodmen Hills, the Thompson garden features a comfortable interior garden next to a patio covered by a wooden pergola. Behind a row of trees, the Thompsons built a fenced-in vegetable garden and created a unique vertical strawberry plantar from an old pallet. Additionally, the owners built a raised bed out of cinderblocks to grow corn and squash, although recent hail damaged the crops.
Wennenís Plain and SimpleAlso located in Woodmen Hills, the Wennen garden incorporates tall raised beds for growing beets and cabbage. The hail also damaged many of the plants in this garden, but the unusually wet weather helped other plants thrive. The 80-foot flower bed surrounds a patio-like area that is separate from the patio directly off the house. The garden patio allows for additional relaxation and privacy. More than 50 mature trees provide adequate shade to make outdoor entertaining more comfortable.
Moultonís Edge of the Forest ñ gardening at 7,300 feetSituated on the edge of Black Forest, the Moulton garden was also hit hard by the recent hail. Beth Moulton said she has been experimenting with various ways to achieve the ideal amount of plant growth. She covered her beds with black plastic so the sun would heat the soil, which allowed her to plant at least a month earlier than usual, she said. Mesh netting over some of her beds helped her plants avoid complete devastation from the hail. Also, she used some of the polycarbonate panels from her old greenhouse to build shelters over some of her plants, which not only protected them from the hail but also insulated the plants.
Beatyís Peaceful XeriscapeThe Beaty garden in Woodmen Hills features a totally xeriscaped yard, with various beds housing a variety of plants along the gardenís path. At the center of the garden is a pergola and a fire pit that serves as an entertainment center. Mature trees throughout provide ample shade, and metal sculptures adorn the landscape. A water feature also provides a great contrast to the largely water-free design.
