Mountain Blooms Garden Tours
The Mountain Blooms Garden Tours is a fundraising event produced by the Lyons Garden Club. Held on the Saturday of Father's Day weekend (June 17th for the 2023 event), participants will experience a day of fun and visual splendor as they explore the town of Lyons through the lens of local gardeners. Moving at their own pace, participants will make their way through ten inspiring gardens, from private sprawling flower and butterfly gardens, to intimate vegetable and fruit gardens.
Pre-registered participants will receive a digital map and descriptions of the gardens via email and do not need to visit Sandstone Park on the day of the tour. The map should be printed or downloaded on your phone, and will serve as your entry on the day of the tour. Registrants will also receive a link to an interactive Google Map with locations and descriptions of the gardens. Event day registration will be hosted at Sandstone Park can be made via cash, check, or credit card (online). (Note that we ask for donations under $5 to be made by cash or check.)
Additionally, all participants will be entered into a drawing for two $100 gift cards from The Flower Bin Garden Center & Nursery and a hanging flower basket from Bent Heirlooms.
All registration donations raised from this event will continue our mission to beautify Lyons one flower at a time, including the purchase of plants, seeds, and supplies for community gardens and planters in our public spaces.

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography

Photo: G. Bhan Photography
Tour Etiquitte
Please don't visit gardens outside of the posted event hours, including showing early or staying late. If you need to use a restroom, please use the public bathrooms in town at the Lyons Visitors Center in Sandstone Park. Try not to block prime spots in the garden when you’re not actively using them. Certainly take your turn to enjoy the view and/or take photographs, but move to the side to let others enjoy the spot, too. Please leave your dog (and any other pets) at home. Your pet may be well behaved but the homeowner’s pets might resent their presence in the garden. Look but don’t touch. If you have children with you this rule applies to them too - please teach them that when they’re visiting other people’s gardens they’re not to pull off leaves or stems, pick flowers, or dig in the garden beds. Don’t take any plants or cuttings home with you unless the homeowner explicitly offers them to you. Stay within designated walking areas–follow garden paths and use stepping stones within planted areas, where provided. Avoid stepping into garden beds for a closer look or photo–you don’t know if there’s something planted in that spot under your foot that looks like bare soil to you. The homeowner’s patio furniture is not a picnic area. Don’t eat your lunch in homeowner’s gardens. Respect the homeowner’s wishes regarding allowing bicycles or strollers into the garden. When in doubt, presume that bulky items should be left to the side or on the driveway. Be conscious that neighbours of the garden on the tour have not chosen to open up their yards for the tour–stay on the tour participant’s property and don’t block neighbouring driveways. Be generous with your praise and remember that old adage of “if you don’t have something nice to say don’t say anything.” We all have different ideas of what makes a garden fabulous and we all have different amounts of time and other resources to devote to gardening.
Guidelines & Tips
Dress for the weather, rain or shine. Also bring sunscreen, sunhat and possibly your umbrella. Wear comfortable shoes and pace yourself. Review the map and garden descriptions so you can prioritize and visit the ones that are most interesting to you first. Especially if it’s hot, be sure to drink lots of water during the day. Plan to stop for snacks and/or lunch. Bring your camera/phone with a fully charged battery. Most hosts will allow photographs of the gardens. Please refrain from taking photos of homes. Talk to the homeowners if they’re in the garden. They’re a friendly bunch (they’ve just invited you and dozens or hundreds of others to visit!) and will be happy to answer your questions about their garden. Thank them for sharing their garden with you!
A Green Event
Keep Lyons green and beautiful with us by reducing waste and pollution during your tour.