On Monday evening, September 13th, at 6:30pm, Lunaria League members will be treated to a short tour, garden discussion and wine at the home of John and Karola Carpenter, 911 North 20th Street.

The Carpenters are known for their exquisite floral designs. They recently relocated their company to the Linen District in Boise, at 14th and Grove (right next door to Big City Coffee).

John claims it is Karola’s “garden,” but when I pulled up to visit with them, he was manning the hose and watering all the beds. Their home and gardens are tucked into a wooded part of the North End, and the garden straddles the cool, running water of Sand Creek Canal. You will be welcomed by a riot of red blossoms at the front door. A wooden deck off the kitchen is the perfect place for coffee and the morning paper, or a glass of wine in the evening. Serene green rules in the back garden, where they’ve tucked a tiny garden shed. Enjoy your peak into the private oasis of the Carpenters. When they aren’t working with flowers, they are, well, working with more flowers. The garden features roses, hostas, water features and artfully planted containers.

click the photo to enlarge.

Monday evening, June 14th, members of the Lunaria League will be gathering in the garden of Nancy Day, at 1000 North 21th, corner of 21st Street and Alturas for the second Open Gardens gathering of the season. Be there at 6:30 for wine and cheese and a chat about the making of this garden space. Read more about Nancy’s Cottage Gardeners here.

What IS this plant? Anchusa?

Nancy Day, owner of the reknowned Cottage Gardeners, opens her glorious crowded colorful garden to members of the Lunaria League for our second gathering of the season. Here’s a sneak peek!

We have just a week or so until the garden tour is underway! If you haven’t already purchased a ticket through the Idaho Botanical Garden, you can get one at any of the gardens on the day of the tour. For a list of the gardens, a look at the map, click here.

A warm fire, good wine, a guided nature walk through the Janet and Russ Buschert’s painstakingly preserved preserve – ahhhhhh, the first Open Gates gathering of the season. If you weren’t there, you don’t know what you missed!

One of the greatest benefits of your Lunaria League membership is the chance to visit and get a good look at great private gardens. We have a terrific lineup for 2010. These are the gardens of true garden geeks: plant lovers, plant collectors, plant experts – you know who you are. At each Garden Gate gathering, we serve wine and cheese and will have a speaker and hot topic of the evening.  If you are not a Lunaria League member, you are missing out on this. So go sign up now.

May 10, a Monday evening, 6:30 pm at the home and garden of Russ and Janet Buschert, 235 W. Floating Feather Road, Eagle, ID. 83616.

June 14th, Monday evening, 6:30 pm, at the home and garden of Nancy Day. Nancy is the owner of Cottage Gardeners, a garden design and maintenance firm, established in Boise in the 1980’s. Her own home garden is everything you might expect: dazzling color, snazzy plantings, and great plants.

July 12, Monday evening at 6:30 pm, Jeff Lightbody’s garden, recently featured in Garden Deck and Landscape, is tucked into a small lot at the base of the Highlands. Jeff loves rusty garden bits and color, old world style with a contemporary spin, and no lawn. Jeff will talk about his favorite plants and getting the very most out of a small space garden.

August 9th, Monday evening 6:30 pm, Ann DeBolt & Roger Rosentreter’s gardens. Ann and Roger, both botanists and major plant geeks, collect penstemons and native plants like some women collect shoes. They’d make Imelda look like she was a slacker. They co-teach Landscaping with Natives, a wonderful class offered through Boise State University. Stroll through this gorgeous, drought tolerant garden and see what ideas you can take away and try at home. Ann’s presentation will cover Landscaping with natives and fire-wise plantings.

October 11, a Monday evening, 6-9 pm, the garden of Julia and Carl Rundberg, 860 E. Pennsylvania Street, East Boise. Julia is the Executive Director of the Idaho Botanical Gardens. She writes: “Our
garden is our therapy- a place to experiment with native and low water plantings, nestle in old favorites that remind us of childhood and life moments, and generally create a living, interactive yard that we enjoy. While lawn has a place, it was not thriving. We have converted “hell strips” and other areas, mulching them with local sandstone and planting the strips with low water plant choices. We know that our home landscape is intriguing to our neighbors as they recognize us as the ones out in our garden most weekends. Pedestrians regularly stop and point at one thing or another as they pass our home.The palette of High Country Gardens (or local purchases of those plants) is a theme throughout- including yuccas, agastaches, buckwheats and penstemons.

Photos and addresses for all the gardens will be updated as the information comes in, probably in the next week. Stay tuned.

The 24th annual Garden Tour to benefit the Idaho Botanical Garden will be held, Sunday, June 13th, 10-5 Rain or Shine. Tickets are available at each garden the day of the tour, or through the Idaho Botanical Garden’s website: www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.

Some photos from featured gardens in past years.

Good news all ’round. The 2010 Pot Luck Container Auction, held during the Boise Flower and Garden Show, brought in $1700 in proceeds. We are hoping to partner with the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association to sponsor several hort student scholarships. The auction was a big success – thanks to the many volunteers and donors who gave of their time and money for the project. A special shout out to Marj and Mike and Nancy and John for creating the backboard with the great signage and the continuous slide show.

Next up: get ready for the 2010 Garden Tour. The 24th annual tour to benefit the Idaho Botanical Gardens.  June 13, 10-5, Rain or Shine.

Look at this lovely container! Just look at these luscious hot mama colors. Mamacita! Bid often and bid high at the POTLUCK Container Auction. All part of the Boise Flower and Garden Show. Friday-Sunday and the Boise Convention Center.

cha cha cha:

Boise Flower and Garden Show is in full swing. Come on down and place a bid for the exquisite or whimsical container of your choice! Oh, and bid on  this (a cool offering from Mr. Tree, Rick Cate of Greenhurst Nursery):