In 2022, Alta Vista Garden Club held a garden tour on June 4th. Participants enjoyed strolling through five gardens seeking beauty in a variety of designs or inspiration for their own gardens. They met gardeners coping with wildly fluctuating temperatures and arid conditions while waiting for the summer monsoon. Gardeners combated wildlife like deer, javelina, rabbits, pack-rats and birds plus the occasional bobcat, mountain lion, and bear all of which were eager to turn the gardens into banquets.
Using many native plants and various techniques of xeriscaping, water capture and low-flow irrigation, gardeners created lovely gardens in a land of little moisture. Every garden represented a realization of the gardener’s vision…water trickling through a meditation area, kinetic sculptures moving in response to gentle breezes, birds, butterflies and bees reacting to a riot of color or a garden memorializing a beloved pet. The gardeners themselves and club members were there to answer questions and lead discussions. Artists captures the beauty of the day.