By Natalie Nelson
The Pence Gallery will celebrate its 23rd annual Garden Tour on Sunday, May 4, from noon to 5 p.m., where visitors will enjoy a picturesque look into six spectacular gardens in the rural and semi-rural areas of North Davis, including North Davis Farms.
For over 20 years, the Pence’s Garden Tour has provided the public with the opportunity to view 6-10 beautiful gardens, chosen for their diversity, overall design, and interesting use of plants. Visitors in the past have enjoyed Japanese gardens, art-filled yards, and xeriscapes filled with native grasses. The tour allows visitors to gain ideas for new landscaping, chat with vendors and Master Gardeners, and see amazing designs in landscape architecture.
This year, highlights include the expansive garden owned by UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts, a garden with more than 30 rose varieties, and several productive vegetable gardens.
The Garden Tour is the Pence’s spring fundraiser, organized by the Garden Tour committee every year to support the gallery’s education and exhibit programs. Last year, we served more than 17,000 visitors in the galleries, and more than 1,000 families and schoolchildren through our programs.
During the event, join local artists Pete Scully, Rebecca Ryland, Debbie Gualco, Ari Targownik, Lauren Brandy and LaVille Logan as they create colorful depictions of the selected gardens onsite. One of my favorite activities during the tour is to see the paintings develop over time, or to watch weaver Natalie Mackenzie as she spins wool.
At the hospitality garden, visitors can choose to bid on restaurant certificates, services and lovely gift items from noon to 5 p.m. Freshly baked cookies, lemonade and other treats will be available for free to ticket holders at this garden. Street parking is available, but we encourage attendees to ride their bikes for the event.
This self-guided Tour is a ticketed event, with tickets sold at the Pence Gallery, 212 D St.; Redwood Barn Nursery, 1607 Fifth St.; Newsbeat, 514 Third St.; and Beyond the Garden Gate, 1015 Olive Drive. Tickets are also available online at www.pencegallery.org., and include access to the gardens, homemade refreshments, and bidding in the silent auction area.
Tickets are $20 for Pence Gallery members and $25 for nonmembers ($28 on the day of the event) and will be sold through the Pence
On the day of Garden Tour, tickets will be sold only in person at the Pence Gallery, and at the host garden, 24958 County Road 101A, beginning at noon.
— Natalie Nelson is the Pence Gallery’s executive director and curator.
