There’s always a lovely little stream running at Oak Canyon Nature Center “Nuclear summer,” I called the hot, dry fall of Southern California. I claimed, we only have two seasons: 7 months of spring and five months of summer that get worse…
News & Events
Thank you all SO much for your support for our yearly garden tour honoring our late founder Mary Lou Heard. Even though we had to change the date, and in doing so lost several garden hosts, we saw so many…
It has surely been a wild rollercoaster that we’ve all unwillingly been traveling on since the “shut-down” began last year in March. We watched in horror as hospitals were overflowing with COVID-19 patients, many of them our loved ones, friends, and…
Mike Kirsch graciously allowed us to video his beautiful rose garden ahead of the tour. We hope this sneak peek will tide avid gardeners until the tour on June 26 & 27, 2021 10am to 5pm! Mike says about his…
Admission Booth w/ a living roof! My husband and I always seek out botanical gardens to visit whenever we travel… here’s the latest one that I’d like to share with you from the Lone Star State of Texas! We’ve been…
Growing up in the 1960’s PEEPS were a part of of my family’s Easter Celebration. Most kids received them in their Easter Basket, but my mom used them for a table decoration. She usually started decorating our dining room table…
Like a Dickens novel – “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” 2020 seemed to start out like any other new year. I do recall it was more fashionable to have a motivational word for…
The reason I found Heard’s Gardens oh so many years ago is due to two years of unsuccessfully trying to grow sweet peas. I had friends who grew mass quantities of these butterfly winged beauties and I was quite often the…
Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German…
As you know from a past newsletter, I have been walking in my neighborhood during my lunch break to try to keep the COVID-19 “15” from appearing on my hips, tummy, & derriere – you get the picture! Well I’ve…
Tucker the Tomato Eating Dog! Tucker, a black and tan smooth-coated ” miniature” dachshund was my son Shaun’s gift from his grandparents for Christmas 1998. Little did we know that Tucker would forever change the way we grew tomatoes. It all started when a…
It is with sadness that we have decided not to move forward with the Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour this year. To say we appreciate you (our hosts and tour-goers) is an understatement. Our hosts worked very heard for…
To say I live for the Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour could quite possibly be an understatement. The motto “real gardens by real people” is a mantra for me. Throw in Mary Lou’s inspirational personal story, raising money for…
Dear garden lovers, The health and wellbeing of our tour attendees and hosts is and always has been a top priority for us. We are carefully monitoring the rapidly changing circumstances. As of now, the Mary Lou Heard Garden tour…
One woman’s vision forever transformed our notion of a garden. So begins the story of Jennie Butchart, who used horse and cart to transfer topsoil to the famous sunken garden at The Butchart Gardens in Vancouver Island, Canada. With 55…
History of the PoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 2–13 ft. The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 2.8–6.3 inches in length. The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green,…
1. Due to our lovely Mediterranean climate, I can garden year-round! No having to bring in potted plants so their pots don’t freeze and crack, no putting my plants to “bed” for the winter. 2. No plant-eating critters – specifically…
The Mary Lou Heard Foundation’s meetings have begun again after a couple of months of Summertime rest to enjoy our families, our own gardens and essentially, just take a break from the busyness of that “last May push.” Can you…
Hello to all. While greeting guests in my vegetable garden I was asked at the garden tour “just how do you propagate your seedlings?” So I thought I would share the way that’s successful for me. Most of the items…
Cleaning out my apron pockets, readying my “work attire” for the wash, I came across a handful of water balloons. In our house, they are “arsenal”! I am SO READY for summer activities to begin! The outdoor sink will be…
March 2019 Newsletter That’s what I was looking for. I wanted to do something fun in the garden. A fresh idea. A new spin on something old. Or something completely new and original. Perhaps repurposing an object to give it…
The recent “rainy days” provided an opportunity to “cocoon” inside. Watching the storm clouds arrive through my kitchen window and trying to predict when the sun would shine again was wonderful. February is the wettest month for So Cal Coastal…
The seven nicest people you could ever meet. That’s how I think of the all-volunteer Mary Lou Heard Foundation Board. They donate hours and hours of time all year round to make the garden tour, on the first weekend in…
Looking for the one special newsletter, here’s a back archive of them all! 08/13/2018 – Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour Newsletter – July/August 201806/01/2018 – Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour Newsletter – June 201805/06/2018 – Need Help TODAY…
It’s that time of year again! And we are so excited about the wonderful gardens this year. They are a real treat! 15. Community – This tour brings our community together. Grandparents, neighbors, kids all are welcome to enjoy this…
I promise you’re going to love this DIY garden project. A co-worker taught me this easy and oh so adorable “live” basket idea more than 20 years ago. I think the result of these five simple steps elevates the Easter…
It’s hard to believe this garden is just over a year old. They aren’t many gardens that can be ‘garden tour ready’ so soon. Although MLHMGT garden host Marcia Kaufman has done just that and has transformed this spacious lot into her…
Discover & Plan
THE MARY LOU HEARD FOUNDATION
a 501(c)(3) Public Charity
9681 Flounder Drive
Huntington Beach, CA
92646
No price will ever be put on viewing the gardens. Let your heart dictate and let those who can dig down deep. Each home will have a donation table. Cash or checks will be gratefully accepted.
Copyright 2021 Mary Lou Heard's Garden Tour © All Rights Reserved