This spectacular garden tour (and fundraiser for Skagit Symphony) was the perfect way to spend a…read morerecent sunny Sunday afternoon with my favorite dude, as we drove around the beautiful Skagit Valley marveling at private gardens of all shapes, sizes, and styles. We started at the home of some local nursery owners. Of course, we were expecting this garden to be spectacular but it was more than that. It was perfect, but not TOO perfect. The plant and flower varieties were incredible, as were the on-site greenhouse and potting shed. There was also eclectic seating throughout the garden, a fruit orchard in the back, and a beautiful dome-topped iron trellis onto which an apple tree had been trained. This was the first stop on the tour and it did NOT disappoint. The remaining 6 stops on the tour were all in Anacortes, about a 20-minute drive from the first stop. There was a very handy guidebook provided with our tickets, which gave detailed, turn-by-turn directions between each garden and provided an overview of what to expect at the next stop. From water features to sculptures, the gardens featured not just plants but lots of inspiration for my own garden. The finale was a breathtaking house overlooking neighboring Guemes Island, with a yard full of carefully curated sculptures and a deck with sweeping views of the sailboats down below. Many stops also included live symphony music played on-site, as well as (much needed) water stations as the day was very warm. Parking was challenging in a couple of the spots, but there were also plenty of volunteers and helpers on hand to help out. My only suggestion: would it be possible to have a local wine vendor pouring samples at each garden? I mean, it doesn't hurt to ask right? This was the first garden tour I've been on in several years, and I look forward to going again next year if at all possible!

Eco-Restore met my needs in adding to my low maintenance hands-off style of gardening. They…read moreselected native and fruiting shrubs to add where I let the grass grow long, herbs and edible flowers for my raised beds and ground covers for a slope I don't want to mow. Coming up on a year after installation everything survived except a couple of bear berries, and the healthy deer population hasn't bothered it too much.

From the owner: $200 off your edible garden design! 🌺 Get tailored advice on plant selection, soil prep, and…read morelayout. Code: 200DKYP

I really need to spend more time at the Green here in Barkley Village. So much going on (especially…read morein summer) from Easter Egg Hunts for the kids to concerts in the park, car show, wine walk, fundraising events and more! They even do yoga on beautiful lush grounds of Barkley Green. Check the scheduled events on their website and get ready for summer on the Green!

I have nothing but good things to say about Aiden and Front Yard Farms…read more He responded to my request quickly and was very good about answering my questions and pinpointing exactly what I needed. He arrived on time and worked nonstop to rejuvenate my patio and give me a wonderful space that I not only look forward to spending time in, but also harvesting all of the excellent choices of herbs, vegetables and fruit that he made! I would highly recommend him and Front Yard Farms!

From the owner: Front Yard Farms is Vancouver based edible landscaping business - we design, install, and also…read moreoffer maintenance for food focussed landscapes. Front Yard Farms makes your landscape gorgeous, and edible!

Awesome ferry ride over to the islands. With Beautiful views. Entering was easy and quick.read more

I only got to visit the American Camp side of this park, but it was wonderful!…read more Driving along Cattle Point Road you'll see signs to enter multiple different sites at the park. I mainly stopped at three locations: Cattle Point Interpretive Area: You can either take the steps down to the pebbly beach to feel more connected to the water, or go up the mossy mound to get a high ground view of... well, everything. I saw water, cliffs, islands, ducks, eagles, seals... unfortunately, no whales, though, prob because this is not the time of year they are around much. Cattle Point Lighthouse: Walked on a cute trail to the lighthouse, where I saw a humongous red fox on a hill, looking like it was digging or pouncing on something! On the other side of the lighthouse are views of miles of open sky and water. South Beach: On the road leading to the beach, we actually saw a black fox just chilling, lying on the road. It moved to the fenced area as we approached, and my gosh it was beautiful. I didn't even know black foxes existed! The beach itself is wide and has views of endless water, with some driftwood hanging out near you. I know there's so much more to the park that we didn't see, but I was quite happy with the wildlife and incredible scenery. Especially the foxes... I've only seen like one other (that I can remember), so seeing the ones here were such a bonus. The trails and sites that we missed are even more reason to return to San Juan Island National Historical Park. I just hope I'm able to come out to this island again someday.