The 26th annual tour will feature seven local gardens meant to inspire and delight those seeking beautiful botanicals and artful entertainment.
Designed to unveil the best of La Jolla’s landscaping, the 26th annual Secret Garden Tour is set for Saturday, May 17 to send attendees into seven local gardens to peruse a variety of plantings.
Established by the La Jolla Historical Society in 1999, the Secret Garden Tour is a “beloved annual event that everyone … throughout San Diego looks forward to,” said LJHS Executive Director Lauren Lockhart.
This year’s tour will again feature “seven spectacular gardens,” she said, five of which have never been on the tour before (and the other two have not appeared in 15 to 20 years and have been updated), “so folks will discover some really beautiful properties with really unique styles in each of them.”
There are two tiers of tickets for the Secret Garden Tour. The self-guided ticket, at $45 for La Jolla Historical Society members and $55 for nonmembers, includes six gardens to be viewed in attendees’ preferred order.
The platinum ticket, at $145 for LJHS members and $155 for nonmembers, includes all seven gardens, a hired bus to drive ticket holders to each garden and a catered lunch.
Self-guided ticket holders can purchase an add-on ticket for the seventh garden for $20.
Each of the gardens will also host artists painting, musicians and local designers.
The gardens on this year’s tour are a mix of traditional landscaping, including rose gardens, wildflower plantings and water-wise arrangements, said Meg Davis, co-chair of the tour with Karen Roque.
“There’s something for everyone in every garden,” Davis said, from a formal garden in a mansion setting or a small cottage.
“We always strive to have a variety of different types of garden design and plantings to give people inspiration,” Lockhart said.
The seventh garden is “an amazing historic property,” she said.
“It’s incredible,” Davis said.
The day begins on the Historical Society’s grounds at 9 am, when participants can pick up their tickets and programs (with the addresses, kept secret until then).
The gardens are open from 10 am to 3:30 pm.
Ticket holders or not, all are welcome to browse the Secret Garden Tour Boutique at the La Jolla Historical Society from 9 am to 5:30 pm, featuring garden vendors and local artisans, along with a silent auction and a glass of wine after 3:30 pm.
“It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday,” Lockhart said.
The tour, begun by volunteers, has a “beautiful history within our own organization,” she added.
The volunteers’ original vision to celebrate local design, landscape design and architecture “is such a natural fit for our organization, as we’re committed to preservation and sharing the architectural gems in our community.”
The tour is also a “vital fundraiser” for the Historical Society, Lockhart said, helping to support the organization’s free exhibits and public programs.
Tickets usually sell out ahead of time, she said. Click here to ensure your spot for the Secret Garden Tour.
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