Xeriscape Tour 2008

   The Sierra Club Big Bear Group, in conjunction with the Big Bear Fire Department, has created a new pamphlet on fire wise gardening, which they will be handing out at this year’s sixth annual Xeriscape Garden Tour, on Saturday, July 12th. This informative brochure combines the principles of defensible space, with drought tolerant/native plants and explains which plants should be planted where to create not just a drought-tolerant landscape but a fire wise landscape as well, an important consideration when living in the mountains.

   The FREE self-guided tour begins anytime between 9 AM and noon on Saturday, July 12th, starting at Eminger’s Mountain Nursery, located at 41223 Big Bear Blvd. in Big Bear Lake, across the street from the Denny’s Restaurant.  Attendees have until 4:00 PM to complete their tour of the gardens.

   Xeriscape tour attendees are given a tour booklet, map and helpful information on gardening at the Eminger’s starting location before they head out. Make sure you plan some time at the starting location where you’ll find several of the tour sponsors ready to answer questions about topics such as composting, using native plants and how to lower your water bill with a Xeriscape garden.

   One of the best ways to see Xeriscaping “in action” is to visit private and public gardens. The purpose of the tour is to educate homeowners and increase awareness of and promote the use of native and drought tolerant plants in mountain gardens in a fun and informal setting.

   In Big Bear, 10 percent of the consumers use 40 percent of the water supply and that usage skyrockets during the dry summer months. Switching over to a more natural, Xeriscape yard or garden will not only save money on water but is a beautiful alternative to water-thirsty lawns and more traditional plants.

   This year’s tour includes several exciting new features:

• Hunter’s Nursery will be an official stop on the tour where native plants—propagated from Big Bear seeds—will be for sale. A native plant expert will be on hand all day to explain the importance of native plants, provide planting advice, and help attendees select the correct plants for their yards.

• Three to four of the homes on the tour will now be Landscaper Showcase homes. These Xeriscape gardens will be hosted by the landscaper who designed and created the yard. This means the landscaper or his representatives will be on hand to explain what they created, identify the plants they used, and answer your questions about the yard. This will be a great opportunity to speak to the experts about what works and what doesn’t.

• And as an added bonus, the Big Bear Garden Club is hosting a Flower Show on the same weekend as the Xeriscape Garden Tour. The Flower Show features cut flowers from Big Bear gardens including a Sierra Club table featuring native plants. The show runs on Friday, May 30th from noon until 5 and Saturday from 9 to 2:00 at the Performing Arts Center. This is a separate event. For more information on the Flower Show call Karen at 909-866-6777.

   The Xeriscape Garden Tour is organized by the Big Bear Group of the Sierra Club and sponsored by: City of Big Bear Lake, Community Services District Big Bear City, Dave Lenoch’s Mountainscapes, Department of Water Big Bear Lake, Eminger’s Mountain Nursery, Hunter’s Nursery and Garden Center, Mojave Desert & Mountain JPA Master Composters, Nativescapes, Stalcup Landscape Innovations, TSL Landscape and Maintenance. Also sponsoring is BBARWA, Las Pilitas Nursery, and the Mitsubishi Cement Company.

   For additional information on the Xeriscape Garden Tour contact Christie Walker at 909-866-5006.

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