Some tips for enjoying a garden walk

Went on the Oak Park-River Forest Garden Club's garden walk today and last week I went on the Pullman Garden Walk. I've been on dozens of garden walks in my time, and I thought of some tips to pass along....

1. Take notes in the booklet or on the map sheet they hand out with most garden walk tickets. But back it up with a notebook, clearly labeled. You may discover that fabulous garden with a dozen cultivar names you just have to write down. Oh, and bring two or three pens; the first pen will inevitably give out on you.

2. Take a digital point-and-shoot and take lots of pictures (bring an extra memory card). After each garden, find its name and address in the booklet or the map and take a picture of it. That way, when you're looking through the pictures later, it will be easy to remember which ones are of which garden.

3. If you are taking pictures of a plant, look for a label. If it has one, take a picture of it. When you are editing the pictures, you'll have the information right there.

4. Wear sunscreen (guess who didn't). Have a hat and an umbrella in the car.

5. Most garden walks these days aren't really walkable, except for a few urban ones like the Dearborn Garden Walk or the Sheffield Garden Walk or the Bowmanville Garden Walk. But if circumstances permit, consider alternative transportation, such as a bicycle. Lots of cyclist/gardeners were out today in River Forest and Oak Park. And Rickshaw Rick's was running people around to the gardens by pedicab, which looked like the way to go, if only I'd thought of it.

6. Bring water. I was never so grateful to anybody as I was for the cups of ice water available in gardens No. 8 and 9. Should have brought my water bottle. In many of the farther-flung suburban garden walks that require a lot of driving, you never know where or if liquid refreshment or lunch is to be found. So it doesn't hurt to bring some provisions too. Hungry people can't enjoy gardens.

7. Available restrooms are rare; the homes aren't open. So take care of that before setting out.

8. Basic courtesy: Stay on paths and lawns, but don't block traffic; don't ask for cuttings and for God's sake don't swipe them; don't go into houses unless you've been told that's part of the tour. Don't double-park or block driveways.

9. If the gardener is there, feel free to ask questions within reason. But watch out for the garrulous gardener who may prevent you from making progress to the next garden.

10. The gardener may be around without wearing a name tag. So wait to mock the gardener's taste until you and your friends are safely out of the garden. Of course, you can feel free to say nice things any time.

11. Some of these walks, such as the Sheffield Garden Walk, have dozens of gardens open. Don't even dream of trying to see them all. Just pick a section of the map. Or chat up the ticket sellers or other volunteers; tell them what kind of garden you like and get recommendations. But also tell them you'd like to see two or three gardens that are different from what you know you like. If you know you like formal gardens, ask for an interesting naturalistic garden; if you know you like flowers, ask for a garden with great foliage. Part of the fun of a garden walk is discovering you like things that would never have occurred to you.

12. If you like a garden, stop and think about why. Many people can't get past the individual plants. But often a good garden has its effect because of its style or its design or its relationship to the house or to the site. So try to mentally step back and analyze what it is that appeals to you about the garden as a whole.Then think about how you might apply that idea in your own garden.

Got a garden question? I recommend you call or e-mail the Plant Clinic of The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, the Master Gardeners of the University of Illinois Extension or the Plant Information Service of the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

All contents of this post are copyright Beth Botts. Feel free to link or share a brief excerpt with a link, but please do not reproduce photos or any other part of this blog without my express permission.