It was a beautiful day for our annual Home Garden Tour! With temperatures in the mid 80 degrees F, hundreds of tour participants enjoyed seeing the eight garden sites with a wide range of garden styles, features and plants; like the shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) seen above at the Maciolek garden. A sincere thank you to the six sets of homeowners that shared their gardens for this event as well as those involved with the Craig High School courtyard gardens and the Rock County Community Garden. We also had over 70 volunteers involved with facilitating this event and dozens of musicians that donated their skills and efforts to this vital RBG fundraiser. I always enjoy viewing the gardens and ran in to many volunteers and supporters of RBG. We'll see what the final attendance will be but I'm more pleased with all the positive comments that I heard about the event. Below are just some of the highlights of the successful 2013 RBG Home Garden Tour. These locations are simply in the order that I visited them. I'll try to blog from the Perennial Plant Association National Conference (Vancouver) over the coming week as time (and energy!) allows. Maciolek garden (Susan M. in the pink, second from right) Boston fern in desk container at Maciolek's bee balm (Monarda sp.) peaking at Maciolek residence back deck at Maciolek residence with live music tomatoes at Maciolek garden in grow bags Miller residence back yard border front entrance planters at Miller residence volunteer docents at Miller's (Mary D., Werner L. and Rose Marie L.) left to right, note neat prairie in the background accent annuals at Miller residence (front door) fancy garden shed at Miller garden prairie garden at Maher residence peak summer color in Maher prairie predator control on bluebird house Hal and Doris R. (RBG volunteers) at Maher residence Kelley & Jim Frey colorful, full sun entrance border at Frey residence live music at Frey residence shady beds at Frey residence shady beds at Frey residence Rock County Community Farm Jim H. (far right) leading one of many tours vertical garden at Rock County Community Garden Laura B. and Kelli C. (both former RBG employees too!) colorful entrance to Rock County Community Garden Annette Smith and John Bauwens Smith/Bauwens border in the back yard ready for dinner at the Smith/Bauwens residence! colorful front stoop at the Smith/Bauwens residence antique tools at the Smith/Bauwens residence labyrinth garden at Hubler residence gazebo at Hubler residence (with violin music!) vegetable garden at Hubler residence vertical planter (it rolls!) at Hubler residence Dragon Wing begonias at Hubler residence colorful tomato supports at Hubler residence plastic bottle sculpture at Craig High School sculpture courtyard Japanese garden courtyard at Craig High School Japanese garden courtyard at Craig High School Japanese garden courtyard at Craig High School