Thank you, it is very helpful . I can not compete with professional landscapers or garden designs that might cost as much as a house itself. I think I should concentrate on my strong points, regenerative gardening, drainage designs and some of cool hostas that I am growing hybridizing.

@lindalana 5b Chicago - I agree with your plan. Education is the overarching purpose of tours of local gardens - IMO. Some of today’s best practices seem daunting to undertake in one’s own garden until seeing those practices at work in someone else’s garden. I’m guessing that the garden tour guide for each of the gardens on your tour will provide a description of the highlights of each garden. Your mention of cool hostas will generate immediate attention! TBH, I had to look up the term ’regenerative gardening’ - that’s a high interest point as well.

Lindalana, I look for labels as I always want to know the name of plants, especially unusual ones. I like variety in a garden so how people use that in their garden interests me too. I look for garden design as I feel that is a weakness of mine. I like to see how others put their plants together for an interesting and unique look.. I also really like to see any garden art, whether it’s purchased or home made.

debra

Also wanted to added that I appreciate all gardens designed and maintained by the owners. As KW said, most of us
can’t match the garden design or perfection of professionally done gardens.

debra

I get frustrated when visiting gardens that are not labelled. I find that the host/hostess are very busy answering everyone's questions and so it is difficult to get their attention. I want to keep looking at their garden but have to wait instead to ask for names of plants.

Sounds like you have a lovely garden. You mention you have some strong points. Maybe some handouts in those regards? I do wonder what you would say in regards to "drainage designs."

Makes sense to me. I did bought p touch label printer and plant labels. Hopefully will have some progress over winter. Debra did see my garden, so you know how much work I need.

I was thinking about handouts or a poster.

It is hard to see but my land is not flat. I lost a number of plants first year since I did not realize how water will run. I have few inches of top soil and then hard clay. Thus water drainage is an issue. First spring I had a number of hostas just sitting in the water.

Then I observed for slopes and natural water flow. Then I dug my ditches.

So this path is more than a path. I dug out ditches and filled them with wood mulch. They serve double function of water overflow collection during rain and a path. After the rain water on the bottom of trench gets absorbed by soil when it dries up. I add mulch every spring.

As for regenerative gardening, I started watching Smiling gardener videos/blog and later took his course some years ago. It opened me to entire new world of understanding how soil works and what it needs. I watched Elaine Ingham presentations, got refractometer and started checking brix.... it is a lot of fun. Recently I stumbled on Gardening like Viking and am enjoying his channel as well. He lives in Northern Indiana so we have close enough weather to follow.