Garden Tourism is Flourishing!

Garden tourism is a type of niche tourism involving visits or travel to botanical gardens and places which are significant in the history of gardening.  Europe has known this for years and has built an extensive million dollar industry around tours to various historical gardens. Surveys show 70% of these visitors are more interested in the gardens than in the homes.

I LOVE to visit gardens when I travel. There is a natural affinity for people who garden. Some think it is a pastime for retirees, but glance around any garden center and you will find young families and single adults gardening. And gardening is a voyeuristic sport - we like to look at other people's gardens!

On my recent vacation to California I jumped at the chance to visit a peony garden, and yes - I bought one to bring home, even though the climate here is different. Some things you just have to take a chance on. The flowers there were unusual and beautiful, the setting was well worth the drive. And new ideas for garden art were around every corner.

Here on the Palouse, garden tourism is alive and well. We are fortunate to have the beautiful Lawson Gardens right here in Pullman. The roses are a special treat in late June. A visit to U of I Arboretum in Moscow is great any time of the year. Bring your old bread crumbs to feed the ducks. If you were lucky enough this spring to stop by Living in The Garden, on Hwy 27 on the way to Palouse, you were sure to get some inspiration. Gorgeous flowers surrounded by relaxing music and a great gift shop. Again, a beautiful setting well worth the drive. Too bad their season is so short. They are only open April to July 1st.  Right now is when Sunshine Flowers & Crafts is just coming into its own. You can "stop and smell the flowers" and fill a bucket with fresh blooms for just $7. They are located off the Old Moscow Highway.

Community gardens offer a different kind of visit. Here you can get ideas for everything from flowers and herbs to vegetables and fruit trees. I was recently at a wedding in Seattle held in a community garden and was stunned by the fabulous bee hive they keep there -- it was really a bee palace! Koppel Farms here in Pullman offers the same chance to see what grows well in our climate. A great help when you are new to the area. Sunnyside Park also offers garden plots.

I am pleased to see plans in the future for WSU's Arboretum and Wildlife Conservation Center. This 100 acre landscape already contains a naturalized forest grove. And when completed it will be a wonderful addition to Pullman.

There is good reason to take garden tourism seriously. A recent study conducted by the National Garden Festival in Buffalo and Western New York shows:

• 19% visited other area attractions while there
• 83% ate at least one meal in a local restaurant
• 30% did some shopping during their visit
• Average expenditure during their visit was $67.82 per day (I spend that easily at every garden center I visit!)

So, even when you are traveling - you can still garden!

Vicki Leeper
Tourism Director