Tour: Exploring the Upper Gardens

Join us on Saturday, August 22, 2026, for the “Exploring the Upper Gardens” guided tour at Vista Gardens. Venture beyond the garden’s more familiar paths for a guided exploration of Vista Gardens’ upper slopes, where challenging terrain, intense southwest-facing sun, and limited irrigation have shaped a distinctive and resilient landscape.

Knowledgeable Vista Gardens docent Louann Worobel will highlight how plants are layered to create depth, rhythm, seasonal interest, and ecological value. Along the way, participants will examine practical approaches to planting on slopes, conserving water, reducing erosion, and selecting plants that thrive in hot, exposed conditions with little to no supplemental irrigation.

The tour will explore:

• Layering trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers for visual and ecological benefit
• Plant selection for dry, sunny, southwest-facing sites
• Strategies for establishing and maintaining gardens on slopes
• How varied forms, textures, and foliage can sustain interest beyond peak bloom
• Lessons from Vista Gardens that participants can apply in their own landscapes

Important Mobility Information

This tour travels through the upper gardens and requires participants to navigate moderately strenuous terrain, including sustained inclines, stone steps, sloped granite-dust paths, and areas with uneven footing. Participants should be comfortable walking and standing for approximately two hours under potentially warm and sunny conditions.

Please use the link below to make your reservation. Tours are $15/person with children participating for free.