Laguna Beach Garden Tour

Eleven private gardens above Victoria Beach will be open on Friday, May 1 from ll a.m. to 4 p.m. exclusively for ticket holders to the Gate and Garden Walking Tour of Victoria Beach sponsored by the Laguna Beach Garden Club.

“The self guided walking tour will showcase gardens ranging in size from tiny pockets of creativity to acres of sprawling oceanfront majesty,” says Nancy Englund, chairperson of the annual fundraiser for the Laguna Beach Garden Club.

Englund notes that several of the gardens in this “venerable” neighborhood -- one of the oldest in Laguna Beach -- have been tended by the same families for generations. She adds that the Victoria Beach neighborhood has been popular through the years with celebrities. Former celebrity homes, historic homes and notable plants will be pointed out to tour goers as they walk the route between gardens.

“One original cottage remains and will be showcased along with the gardens that embellish a mix of newer and older homes,” she concludes.

Englund urges everyone who attends to wear sturdy walking shoes as many of the gardens, due to their location on a cliff above the Pacific, are terraced and include, steep, uneven steps.

Tickets will be sold in advance only. The $35 ticket price includes admittance to the 11 featured gardens, a tour brochure with a map of the route and additional information about the area, round trip bus transportation to start of tour, refreshments and one opportunity to win a door prize raffle. More raffle tickets may be purchased at registration.

Tickets are available three ways: In person at Laguna Drug, 239 Broadway, Laguna Beach or Dana Point Nursery, 34100 South Coast Highway, Dana Point; by mail at P.O. Box 362, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; and online at www/lagunabeachgardenclub.org.

The garden tour is the major fundraiser for the Laguna Beach Garden Club. Proceeds provide financial support the environmental, educational and civic beautification projects of the club such as horticultural scholarships, the water wise garden at the Historical Society house and the pocket park downtown.

For more information, visit www.lagunabeachgardenclub.org.