The annual Homer Garden Tour, sponsored by the the Homer Garden Club, will take place on July 21 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. The club has provided the tour for approximately 30 years, according to Annie Oberlitner, current board member of the club.

Oberlitner said the philosophy of the club is to showcase “beautiful home or commercial gardens” and highlight local efforts toward maintaining sustainable personal vegetable gardens.

“We’re trying to promote the idea that there are all kinds of different gardens and not just one garden type is the right kind. Everything is possible, depending on what people are personally looking to accomplish.” The Homer Garden Club has selected five local gardens to demonstrate each individual gardener’s interest in what they can provide and what they choose to incorporate into their personal space as examples of diversity of gardens within the Homer region.

This year’s tour will also demonstrate fruit trees, berries, a high tunnel and a hothouse.

Oberlitner’s role in the garden tour is helping to find and support local gardens to participate in the tour. She maintains a list of gardens as potential tour sites and eventually narrows it down to approximately six that are willing to be included in the event. This year there are five gardens available for people to visit, all located on the east side of Homer. In previous years, the event has also included gardens in other Homer and Anchor Point locations. Oberlitner also helps the club coordinate volunteers to assist on the day of the event.

Though this event is taking place the same month as the chamber’s peony celebration, it is an unrelated event. There is, however, one commercial peony garden on the tour this year.

Jessica Shepherd has one of the gardens featured on the tour this year and shared some details about her homestead property that she’s owned for 16 years. When the property was purchased, it only had a house on it, no out buildings or gardens established.

The property is located on a steep slope so the Shepherds added some tiers to it to accommodate gardens. The high tunnel she has now is relatively small, about 20 by 20 feet, she said.

“My garden focus has always been on food production with a nod to flowers,” she said. She has added a few more flower containers this year because of the tour.

“I like the term ‘homestead garden’ because we don’t have that impeccable garden that people maybe think of. I also try not to eliminate nature. I really like working with alders, for example. If I like a certain flowering native plant, I incorporate it rather than replacing it with something non-native,” Shepherd said.

The address and owners of the five gardens on this year’s tour are not available on the club website but will be available with a map when tickets are purchased. Tickets are only available at the Homer Bookstore on the weekend of the show and are $15 by cash or check only. The club asks that visitors do not bring pets with them on the tour and to consider carpooling due to limited parking on personal properties.