St. Luke's parishioners Steve and Julia Conway are again chairing the event, which they organized after attending similar fundraisers years ago elsewhere in California. They say that at the time, they realized there were many such events as the home tours and historical walking tours in the Los Gatos and Saratoga areas, but no garden tours. The Spring Garden Tour has become more popular every year, which Steve attributes in part to the increasing popularity of its theme. It used to be people would hire gardeners to rake and prune and weed and things like that. This is a great chance for them to see what other people are doing, which they otherwise wouldn't be able to see.
Visitors can also get some good ideas for things they can do themselves.
The depth and variety of the terraced garden belies the fact that the Griffiths moved in just two years ago to a nearly bare landscape. One of the biggest projects, she says, was replanting all of the English and Old Garden roses from their former home in Ventura. The thorny plants even got their own moving truck, Griffith reveals with a chuckle. This is one of those gardens that will never be finished. I'd rather just focus on spring and summer.