It’s garden tour season here in the US Southeast. Gardening clubs and charity organizations host local garden tours to raise funds and awareness. Typically, these self-guided tours include a series of personal gardens which the owners have generously agreed to open to the public for a day or a weekend. A program describing the participating gardens, along with a recommended driving route, is provided to participants when they purchase their tickets. Garden visitors drive themselves from garden to garden where they can stroll through gorgeous private paradises and revel in the beauty of landscaped nature.
I’ve had the pleasure of participating in a number of local garden tours over the years. Every garden is unique and every tour has its own distinct focus and personality. Thus, every garden visit is different but there are similarities.
Most notably, nearly all the gardens on these tours are private gardens which the owners have kindly opened for visitors. The garden hosts have essentially invited each visitor into their personal space.
Garden hosts have lovingly primped and polished their gardens in preparation for the big day. They invest a great deal of time and effort into making guests feel welcome and, in turn, guests are expected to be on their best behavior. But what, exactly, is that? What can garden visitors do to demonstrate their appreciation and enhance the experience for everyone?
I’ve given this topic some thought and would like to suggest a few guidelines. Read on for 10 Tips to be a Great Garden Guest.
1. Prepare for the Weather
No one who likes to garden needs to be reminded weather conditions can change unexpectedly. So, be sure to check the weather forecast and prepare appropriately. That may mean bringing a sun hat, sunscreen and drinking water. Or an umbrella, closed-toe shoes and a raincoat. It could also mean bringing insect repellent or a sweater.
2. Wear Appropriate Footwear
Most private gardens have uneven walking surfaces so comfortable, low-heeled shoes are essential. Surface materials will vary and can range from mown grass, to pea gravel, to brick paths, to stepping stones, to reclaimed brick to wood chips. Some surfaces, such as stepping stones, can get quite slippery when wet so please ensure your shoes have good traction.
3. Download Plant Identification App
Unlike your favorite botanical garden, plants are rarely labeled in private gardens. It’s safe to assume you’ll see at least one tree, shrub or flower that you’ll want to identify so download a good plant identification app to your phone in advance. I’m a big proponent of iNaturalist and Seek for identifying wild flora and fauna (see my previous blog post Seek to Identify Wildlife with this Fun App) but other apps, such as PlantNet, seem to be better for quickly identifying cultivated flora. 
There are exceptions, of course. Once I visited the garden of a retired professor of horticulture who had labelled all the extraordinary trees and shrubs in his splendid garden.
4. No Pets Please
Every garden tour will have its own rules but, generally, private gardens cannot accommodate pets. I assume service animals would be an exception.
5. Plan Route
Review the garden tour destinations in advance and get familiar with the recommended route. I find it helpful to enter the individual addresses into my phone in advance.
TIP: Most garden visitors will start at the beginning of the prescribed route and move from garden to garden in unison. I recommend starting at the middle or end of the route instead―this allows you to break away from the pack and, potentially, enjoy the gardens with fewer visitors.
You will also want to plan for bio breaks along the route since it’s unrealistic to expect garden owners to have public toilets or to open their private bathrooms to visitors.
6. Park Safely and Get Oriented
Most garden tour organizers post signs at the garden sites so they are easy to spot. 
Pay attention to the parking situation and follow all parking instructions. Typically, parking is available along the street but it could also be in a field, at a nearby parking lot or along a busy roadway. In many cases, garden owners have negotiated for parking with their neighbors so it’s important to be respectful of all nearby properties.
Stop at the check-in station to register. Typically, a volunteer will mark your ticket or program, explain any special rules and instruct you on where to enter the garden. They may also point out highlights and noteworthy features. 
7. Walk With Care
Private gardens usually have narrow paths and limited space which means visitors must follow the traffic flow identified by the garden hosts. Start your visit at the indicated entrance point. 
Walk slowly, stay on the paths and walkways, and move in the direction indicated.
8. Mind Your Manners
Understandably, few private gardens are designed to accommodate dozens of visitors at once. So, if you find yourself surrounded by fellow visitors all peppering the garden host with questions or a group of enthusiasts all straining to see the same rare bloom, remember to be patient and courteous.
A little online research revealed these specific tips:
. Don’t monopolize the garden host(s).
. Focus on the positive. Don’t criticize or call out shortcomings.
. Avoid the temptation to talk about your own garden.
. Use your “indoor voice”.
. Ask permission to take photos.
. When taking photos, don’t inconvenience other visitors or disrupt the traffic flow.
. Don’t pick flowers, take cuttings or remove anything.
At the risk of stating the obvious, I’ll add:
. Silence your phone.
. Exit the garden for phone conversations.
9. Observe and Appreciate
Whether you’re a gardening novice or expert, strolling through a beautiful private garden is a rare privilege. It’s also a great opportunity to learn. Typically, the private gardens selected for local garden tours are well-planned with interesting designs, features and plantings.
“Creating a garden is about creating pictures―building up an overall pleasing design, combining plants and architectural features” explains the Encyclopedia of Garden Design. “You’ll often hear terms such as ‘framework’ or ‘bare bones’ used when people discuss a particular garden. When this framework is in harmony, in terms of both proportion and scale, a garden is said to have good ‘bones’. Make this your first aim, then the garden will be ready for you to complete the picture with creative plantings to complement whatever type or style of garden you choose to create”.
Here are a few examples of “garden pictures” I’ve seen in the gorgeous private gardens I’ve visited.
In its introduction to well-planned gardens, the Encyclopedia of Garden Design notes “We can learn many relevant garden design lessons from the classical Romans. They perfected the interplay between indoors and the garden, and used focal or pivotal points as well as symmetrical layouts. In addition, they considered the relevance of the surrounding landscape, not only regarding orientation for climate control, but to take advantage of views.”
It’s intriguing to watch for these specific elements during a garden visit. “The interplay between indoors and the garden”, for instance, can be seen in these inviting garden settings. 
“Focal or pivotal points”, sometimes called “eye-catching features” can be “all manner of thing, from classical urns, a sculpture … or a summer house built at an axis point. Their placement can give a marvelous illusion of length as well as adding extra interest to a garden whatever its size.”
Obviously, large rural properties are better able “to take advantage of views” of the “surrounding landscape”. Here are a few examples from private gardens I’ve had the privilege to visit.
10. Thank Your Host
“Always, always, thank the hosts for opening their garden for public enjoyment. Compliment the garden, and explain briefly any elements that you particularly enjoyed” writes Marie Harrison in her article, Garden Tour Lessons.
More Info
The photos featured in this blog post were taken during a variety of local garden tours including:
. Madison in May Tour of Homes in Madison, Georgia, USA
. Piedmont Gardeners Annual Garden Tour in Athens, Georgia
. The Festival of Houses & Gardens (now The Charleston Festival) in Charleston, South Carolina
. Pashley Manor Gardens Tulip Festival in Ticehurst, England
. Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival and Garden Tour in Douglasville, Georgia (no longer active)
. Atlanta Botanical Garden Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour in Atlanta, Georgia (no longer active).
See more from these local garden tours in the following blog posts:
. Spring Into a Garden Tour
. Charleston’s Glorious Window Boxes
. Madison in May – 15 Favorite Fotos
. A Virtual Stroll in Ticehurst.
To learn more about iNaturalist’s Seek app, see my previous blog post Seek to Identify Wildlife with this Fun App.
The following articles and books were consulted in the writing of this blog post:
. Garden Tour Etiquette: Things to Know Before You Go article on Edmonton Horticultural Society website
. Garden Tour Lessons, article by Marie Harrison on Dave’s Garden website
. Visiting Botanical Gardens: Botanical Garden Tips For Enjoyment article by Mary H. Dyer on Gardening Know How website
. The Best Plant Identification App article By Ellen Airhart on The New York Times Wirecutter website
. Encyclopedia of Garden Design book which is available here on Internet Archives.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Gardening clubs and charity organizations host local garden tours to raise funds and awareness.
2. In a local garden tour, garden owner/hosts essentially invite each visitor into their personal space.
3. Consider attending a local garden tour and following the suggested tips to demonstrate your appreciation and to enhance the experience for everyone.
