It occurred to me on a recent walk around our fair neighborhood that a few residents are creating lush and colorful front yards and growing healthy vegetable gardens in their backyards.  I know it takes lots of effort, but I do that too and don’t have much to show for it. They must know the right stuff! I wonder if they would share what they know?

A Garden Tour Project

Imagine what would happen if I or you had an invitation to visit these experts and learn how they do it? Would Gatlinburg homes become more beautiful? Would the property values and the desirability of living in our neighborhood increase? Would recognition for good landscaping encourage more homeowners to do it? I believe it would.

A Modest Proposal

Form a steering committee with a leader. Pick a Saturday morning or afternoon. Enlist about a dozen Gatlinburg residents who have exceptional gardens or yard landscaping to be available to show off their work for four hours. Print a map and location descriptions and add sponsor acknowledgments. Choose one or more starting points for the tour where people can get tour maps, register, make a donation, and get name badges. People can walk together or could sit on a trailer with hay bales pulled by a pickup. At each open garden, home owners or other volunteers would answer questions from the visitors. Survey participants how they will use what they learned to improve their own gardening/landscaping. Offer local store coupons as honorariums to gardeners who host visitors. 

What’s Your Suggestion?

Do you have a neighbor with great garden or landscaping? Want to volunteer to help? Want to make my proposal better? I welcome your comments below.