Take a tour of inspirational coastal gardens in county

Gardening is sharing. So is cooking, music and art, but especially gardening.

Look out your window, drive through your neighborhood, or do anything outdoors and you cannot deny that gardens are very shared experiences. We plant gardens for ourselves, but we share them with family, friends and even strangers. I learned long ago and am continually reminded that gardeners are among the most sharing of people.

As we contemplate improvements and experiment in our own gardens, wouldn’t it be nice to see what’s going on in other people’s gardens?

Snooping around other gardens would be especially fun if they were my neighbors, sharing my soil and climate. And what if I could do the snooping in broad daylight, in the heart of spring and with several other curious gardeners just a shovel’s length away?

Garden tours are a highlight of the spring gardening season here in Orange County. At last tally, I know of at least 10 well-organized tours right here in our own backyard. If you enjoy gardening and talking to other gardeners, then a garden tour is calling. Most of the local ones are happening in the next few weeks. They’re one-day events. Miss them and you’ll have to wait until next year.

Here’s how garden tours work. You buy a ticket to the tour of your choice, usually in advance. With the ticket comes the hours of the tour and a list of the gardens and their addresses. Often you’ll get a brief profile of the garden, the homeowner who tends it, its history and perhaps a bit of what to expect when you visit.

On the day of the event, put on some comfortable shoes, select a hat and grab your camera. Toss a notepad or your garden journal on your car seat and drive to any of the gardens on the list. Almost all garden tours are self-guided; you decide which gardens you want to see and in which order. It is a very casual and relaxed day full of inspiration, ideas and friendships.

As you visit the gardens and talk with others, you will see new plants, striking plant combinations, learn cultural techniques and return to your own garden inspired by new possibilities.

Here are three garden tours along the coast of Orange County that I have attended and would recommend.