Tour The Backyards Of Broadwater
Author: Terey Artz, Broadwater County Master Gardener
Terey Artz
Broadwater County Master Gardener
The Backyards of Broadwater self-guided garden tour returns for its 7th year on Saturday, July 27th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm with new gardens and old favorites! This year’s tour features six unique gardens and yards stretching from Townsend and north along Highway 284 to Goose Bay. Highlighted gardens include old favorites in Townsend (Ginny and Don Schauber who also welcome you to tour their historic home) and at Goose Bay (Teri and Jim Gunderson with an amazing self-built greenhouse). New sites include a completely transformed backyard in Townsend (Brenda Banks and Mike Philpott), experimentation with vertical gardening (Lacey and Zach Jepson near Highway 284), reclaimed creekfront property along Duck Creek (Donna and Steve Haynes), and an apple orchard with more than 50 varieties (Shannon and Tony Woodward).
There is something for everyone on the tour, whether you’re just embarking on your gardening journey or looking for new and innovative ideas to enhance your “old” landscape. Each highlighted garden has a different focus and faces challenges that are familiar to gardeners and garden admirers throughout Broadwater County. One site will feature presentations about planting and caring for young trees by Patrick “the tree guy” Plantenberg, Townsend Tree Board Chairman.
Tickets are now on sale at the Broadwater County Extension Office, Townsend Hardware, Goose Bay Glass, Chadwick’s Nursery and Birds and Beasleys. They are $5 per person with kids 12 and under free. When you purchase your tickets, you will receive a map and garden descriptions. You can enjoy the tour at your own pace on July 27th and can even take a lunch to enjoy creekside at one of the destinations.
Proceeds from the Backyards of Broadwater garden tour are used to support local horticulture, gardening and tree activities, beautification projects, education, and care and maintenance in public areas. In the past seven years, more than $3200 has been granted to organizations and projects including the Townsend Tree Board, Townsend Garden Club & Study, Broadwater Social Services Committee, and Townsend Schools to support Wyse Acres and the Harvest of the Month program.
The tour is organized by the Broadwater County Master Gardeners and MSU Extension Office with generous support from this year’s sponsors: Broadwater Blooms, C Hanging C Mercantile and Creamery, Haynes Ranch, Infinite Hope Counseling, Lane Construction, Most Wanted Reality (Jenni Fellenz), Sod Works Turf Farm, and Broadwater County Master Gardeners. Each tour ticket also includes valuable coupons from Townsend Hardware and C Hanging C Mercantile and Creamery.
For more information, follow “Backyards of Broadwater” on Facebook and Instagram or visit https://www.msuextension.org/broadwater/. You can also contact MSU Extension in Broadwater County at 406-266-9242 or broadwater@montana.edu or stop by the extension office in the Flynn Building at 416 Broadway.