Eight magical gardens — tucked away in small acreages, backyards and patios from Rossland to Fruitvale — will be featured in the return of the Hills to Valley Garden and Art Tour this coming weekend.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 garden tour running Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
COVID quashed the last two years of this popular cultural event, so organizers are looking forward to reviving this one-day affair.
“After missing the last two years we are happy to be back and just sticking to the formula that has been working for us,” Ian Noakes told the Times.
“The eight gardens are all very different and give people ideas as to what can be done and grown in this area,” Noakes says. “It’s a relaxing day out for gardeners and non gardeners who just enjoy looking.”
The tour also includes artists and musicians, all of whom are local.
Noakes hinted that one is the granddaughter of a Trail councillor and another, new this season, creates beautiful baskets from pine needles.
“We have the guided bus tour for those that prefer not to drive, and we have a self guided tour,” Noakes adds. “Both of these include a great luncheon at Redstone Golf Resort.”
Those interested in simply taking in the gardens at their own pace are invited to purchase a map with directions to each locale.
Tickets for the self-guided tour ($10), self-guided tour with luncheon ($25), or guided bus tour with luncheon ($60) are available in Trail at The Doorway and Pharmasave. Tickets can also be purchased Country Roads General Store in Fruitvale, Mountain Nugget Chocolate Company and Kootenay Gateway in Rossland, and Kalawsky Chevrolet in Castlegar.
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“The Lower Columbia Kootenay communities of Trail, Rossland, Montrose, Fruitvale, Warfield, Beaver Valley and Rivervale provide a varied landscape to showcase outstanding gardens, local musicians and artists,” organizers share. “The mighty Columbia River, our fertile valleys and internationally renowned ski town Rossland, provide a backdrop for a garden tour like no other.”