The efforts of dozens of local volunteers will bloom this weekend when Vashon Allied Arts hosts its annual Garden Tour on Saturday and Sunday.

Five private gardens, landscaped by their local owners, will be open to tour-goers. This year’s gardens are the handiwork of Sylvia Soholt, Whit and Mary Carhart, Bruce Fillinger and Barry Foster, Todd and Mary Pearson, and David Pfieffer and Daniel Klein.

The tour will also include a garden market open to the public on the K2 grounds, talks by expert growers and live music performed by talented Island musicians.

Performers will include Con Brio, a youth string ensemble, at the Pearsons’ garden. Nonesuch, a Celtic trio comprised of Marilyn Kleyn, Nicholas Anderson and Steve Austin, will play at the Fillinger/Foster garden. And harpist Leslie McMichael will perform at Soholt’s garden.

The Magpies — Steve Amsden, Jean Richstad, Dan Brown and Cliff Simpson — will perform at the Garden Market on Saturday. Geordie’s Byre, another Celtic group, will perform there on Sunday.

This year’s tour will include more garden talks than in years past. Speakers include Jan Nielsen and Jonathan Morse, Dave Hunter and Sara Van Fleet, Melissa Schafer and the Lavender Sisters, Leda Langley and Tom Conway, David Pfeiffer, Sylvia Soholt, Barry Foster and Whit Carhart.

Each of the speakers will bring something different to the table and aim to leave listeners inspired to try new things in their own gardens, organizers said.

Tickets to the tour are $25 per person. For more information about tickets, talks, music and more, visit www.vashonalliedarts.org or call VAA at 463-5131.

 

Contact Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Arts Editor Elizabeth Shepherd at arts@vashonbeachcomber.com or 206-463-9195.

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