Entertainment highlighted along Turlock Garden Tour

Entertainment areas, lush landscapes and even a party barn mark the stops on the Turlock Garden Club’s fourth annual Turlock Garden Tour on Saturday, April 23.

“Planting Seeds of Hope” is the theme of this year’s eight-home tour – four in Turlock and four in nearby Hilmar.

One of the highlights will be the outdoor space at Jessica’s House, a vintage home in Turlock that provides a place for children, teens and families who are grieving death to share their experiences.

The free Jessica’s House program is supported by residents, according to information from the Turlock Garden Club, which has taken on the gardens at the home as a club project.

Also highlighted on the tour, which is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be yards that feature expansive entertainment areas, drought-tolerant features, cutting gardens and a residence with a decidedly Western theme.

This year’s tour includes:

▪  A Mediterranean-style home in Turlock with a yard that features olive trees, grasses and shrubs. The backyard includes an outdoor kitchen and family entertainment space.

▪  Also in Turlock, an East Coast-style home with an old-world style pool surrounded by fountains, bocce ball and volleyball courts and horseshoe pits.

▪  A backyard koi pond and an eclectic mix of fruit trees, roses, bedding plants and other colorful plantings at a 1970s Turlock ranch home.

▪  The vintage garden at Jessica’s House, which includes a therapy garden as well as hand-painted tiles created by the children.

▪  A Hilmar home featuring a low-maintenance yard with redwood trees, lawn and shrubs that also includes an entertainment area – complete with a party barn.

Another home in Hilmar includes a cutting garden with a Dutch-influenced design. Wood and iron garden art are featured, along with 51 varieties of flowers, a greenhouse and more.

The original Lundell homestead in Hilmar now holds a Western-themed entertainment space, including the “Lunrealville” Saloon. The yard is decorated with a covered wagon, hitching posts and horseshoe pits.

A final stop in Hilmar holds a bounty for tourgoers, with Raff-a-tunity gift baskets, potting table, planters and more in the barn, along with beverages and fresh-baked goods.

Addresses to each garden are printed on the tickets and programs; large maps will be available at each address. Proceeds from the tour provide scholarships and support community service projects of the Turlock Garden Club.

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Entertainment highlighted along Turlock Garden Tour."