There is a quiet, rewarding joy in gardening; in successfully encouraging nature (for it can’t be forced) to unfold its small, living miracles. Of course, the value of caring for and enjoying verdant flora is not exactly a revelation for a community that maintains 38 parks within its roughly two square miles – and supporting that upkeep while drinking in a handful of backyard paradises and gathering seeds for your own future ideas is the work of but a single day’s journey: simply take the 29th annual Nichols Hills Garden Tour.
2012’s tour is set for June 2, 9am-4pm; in case of rain it will be rescheduled for June 3, 1-4pm. Tour chair Wiley Hugos, a veteran volunteer who happily describes herself as “up to my nose in roses,” says that one of the primary draws for this event is that it’s an excellent source of inspiration for local gardeners. “The gardens are ‘Okie’ – in that the plantings and landscapes, for the most part, do well in our wild Oklahoma climate. I hope that those who experience this tour will depart with practical and workable ideas that can be tailored to their own outdoor spaces.”
That adaptability should be a boon to homeowners whatever their tastes are, as the stops encompass a remarkable breadth of designs. “This year’s tour is eclectic,” continues Hugos. “The variety of styles and individual elements includes sumptuous traditional gardens, herb and vegetable gardens and very modern gardens with dramatic simplicity, punctuated with random, bold highlights of color.”
The abundant variety is unmistakable – in fact, all the colorful beauties on these pages were photographed at merely two of the tour homes, the Albers’ and the Fulmers’. And as easy as it would be to lavish rhapsodical, adjective-laden praise on each Eden’s delicate splendor, Kipling pointed out that “the glory of the garden it abideth not in words.” Just take the tour… and enjoy the show.
The 2012 Nichols Hills Garden Tour
LeighAnn and Paul Albers
6609 N.W. Grand Boulevard
Special thanks to Garden Design Associates, John Fluitt, Marquette Clay and Roger Runge
Scott Connor and Dr. Kittye Little
1604 Drury Lane
Simone and Peter Fulmer
7209 Waverly Avenue
Special Thanks to Anders and Terry Carlson of AC Dwellings, LLC
Jan and Jim Loftis
1806 Huntington Avenue
Diana and Danny Kennedy
1712 Pennington Way
Tammy and Bill Federman
6807 Avondale Drive
Smelling the Roses
Tickets for the tour are easy to come by: they’re available for $20 apiece at any of the participating homes on the day of the event, or for $15 if purchased in advance at these businesses:
C/K and Company – 6419 Avondale, Nichols Hills Plaza – 843.7636
Horn Seed Co. – 1409 N.W. Expressway, OKC – 842.6607
Mockingbird Manor Antiques – 4417 N. Western, OKC – 521.1212
New Leaf Florist – 9221 N. Penn, Casady Square – 840.5323
No Regrets – 9219 N. Penn, Casady Square – 753.5485
On a Whim – 5850 N. Classen, Classen Curve – 848.3488
PreCure Garden Center – 4535 N.W. 63rd, OKC – 721.5637
PreCure Garden Center – 8125 W. Reno, OKC – 789.2540
The Paper Lion – 1389 E. 15th, Ste. 132, Edmond – 348.0952
Tony Foss Florist – 7610 N. May, OKC – 843.4119
TLC Florist & Greenhouses – 105 W. Memorial, OKC – 751.0630
TLC Florist & Greenhouses – 8208 N.W. Expressway, OKC – 720.0091
Wilshire Garden Market – 2821 W. Wilshire, OKC – 879.1121
42nd Street Candy Co. – 4200 N. Western, OKC – 521.8337
