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Friends of Noe Valley is pleased to present the 14th annual Noe Valley Garden Tour on Saturday, May 4th. This year the 2019 tour has ten private gardens that will be open from 10am-4pm. With an earlier date and all the recent rain, the gardens should be amazing and the flowers plentiful!

Back by popular demand the Garden Tour theme is once again Art in the Garden. A variety of art including sculpture, painting and photography by local artists will be displayed in every garden.

• The 2019 tour includes a beautiful backyard referred to by the owner as ‘Tuscanesia’ which is a blend of old-world style terraced stonework, tropical plants and ten trees, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere for urban living. The photo art of Jessica Levant will be on display with ‘unexpected views of the ordinary and ordinary views of the unexpected’.
• A terraced succulent garden challenges young and old with a “puzzle” to find various hidden animals and insects. Local artist John Milestone who created the wall murals in this garden will be present to discuss his style of creating murals, oil and acrylic paintings.
• A very pleasant intimate garden perfect for reading, dining or entertaining features a  spectacular weeping cherry tree, wonderful Japanese maple, several very old native California trees and colorful flowers. This is where you will meet artist Michelle Echenique displaying her new series of mixed media vertical gardens. These one-of-a-kind creations incorporate live plants within a structure of reclaimed material creating distinctive and compact hanging gardens.
• The late Manuel Fernandez created a garden over 40 years ago which showcases a collection of semi and tropical plants. Almost everything in the garden is a transplant and watering is done with recycled gray water from the laundry! It has proven to be quite successful in keeping the garden green and lush. Throughout the garden you will see the sculptures and paintings of homeowner/artist Lawrence Kulig.
• A beautiful old cedar tree is the centerpiece of this garden. Under and around the tree is an array of local plants and trees selected for both their visual appeal and resilience. These plants, some in the ground, some in pots, and some arranged on handcrafted structures, create a naturalistic collection of eclectic colors, shapes and textures.  Painter David Auld will have his work displayed in this lovely garden. David’s focus is on the urban landscape and his inspiration comes from San Francisco and European cities.
• Tucked behind the 1916 splendor of the restored Noe Valley Library is an inviting space that allows patrons to enjoy a western shade garden filled with azaleas & rhododendrons. A path of ferns and camellias leads the visitor to a large espaliered plum tree. The sunny garden is completed by a riot of color enhanced with California natives and a large lemon tree. The photo work of Debra Reabock who uses the camera as a “paintbrush” creating unique visual delights will be shown in the Library garden.
• A hidden gem in Noe Valley, showcases a spacious garden bursting with color and surprises. You will find redwood, olive and fruit trees along with vegetable beds and bee hives. Two local artists, along with several Senior Center members, will be on display throughout the space.  Human form sculptures by Kristine Mays created from hundreds of individual pieces of wire and large size paintings which skillfully capture the essence of ordinary people’s lives by Talavera-Ballón will be exhibited.
• Climb up and into an always evolving garden filled with Japanese maples, collections of Haworthias, Gasterias and other succulents, native live oaks, roses, flowering maples, ferns and bamboo. Places of rest and vistas dot the way! An intimate back yard features a Japanese maple canopy and a collection of Tillandias growing in a very old legacy climbing rose. The photographic work of Richard Anderson, resident gardener and artist, will be on display showcasing images from his garden and around the world.
• A quiet and peaceful gem is located in the heart of Noe Valley where you will see mature trees and shrubs. An inviting terrace patio and a grassy landing with a cobble stone wall complete this lovely garden oasis.  The artwork of Julie Cohn, who is primarily recognized as a colorist and is praised for her powerful and energetic expression of watercolors, will be presented is this garden.
• A poem describes the meandering pathway, living wall, Buddha and staircase sitting area of a sacred and serene garden space. A colorful mural by Randy Lee Odell is sure to delight you as you visit this garden. Randy is a San Francisco artist who evokes mood and magic through his custom fine art, murals, decorative painting and illustration.
  Secret place, sacred space
  Buddha greeting and blessing
  Great tree trunks lofting wind speaking leaves high
  This is our garden.

Tickets for the Garden Tour will be sold at the Farmers Market in the Town Square on Saturdays April 13th, April 20th and April 27th and on the day of the tour May 4th. You may also purchase tickets on 24th Street at Folio Books, Just for Fun, and Umpqua Bank. Olive This, Olive That on Vicksburg Street and Omnivore Books on Cesar Chavez at Church will be selling tickets as well.

Tickets can also be purchased right here online! Prices are $20 for adults and $16 for seniors 65+. Children under 12 are free.

If you are feeling lucky, raffle tickets will be sold for a garden makeover, donated by Stephanie Johnson – Compass Realty. The grand prize includes a $300 gift certificate to Sloat Garden Center along with 4 hours of garden labor! Additional prizes from Terese Taylor CMT, Flora Grubb Gardens and Flowercraft will be awarded to lucky winners. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the same locations as the Garden Tour tickets and at the Saturday Farmer’s Market. Tickets are 1 for $5, 3 for $10 and 10 for $20.

The proceeds from the Garden Tour will be returned to the community through a donation to a beautification project in the neighborhood. The Friends of Noe Valley would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals and businesses for their sponsorship and continued support for this wonderful Noe Valley event. We could not do it without their generosity!

Rachel Swann-The Agency, LEAD SPONSOR
Umpqua Bank
Dennis Otto-Compass
Sloat Garden Center
Zephyr Realty
Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals
Duncan Wheeler-Compass
BJ Droubi Team
David Pennebaker-Compass
Urban Farmer Store
Reid Rankin Real Estate
Stephanie Johnson-Compass Pacific Union
Flora Grubb
Flowercraft
Terese Taylor, CMT