The Atascadero Mutual Water Company (AMWC) announces its 10th Autumn Garden Tour, which will kick-off at 9am at the McGee's Cafe in Atascadero on October 10, 2015. Guided by the words of Abraham Lincoln inscribed on the front of the Atascadero Civic Administration building—“The most valuable of all arts will be the art of deriving a comfortable subsistence from the smallest area of soil”—the Garde
n Tour will celebrate beautiful, low-water use, sustainable landscapes. This is a unique opportunity to visit a variety of of water-thrifty gardens, speak with homeowners and landscape design/installation firms, and find out how you can create gorgeous, eco-friendly surroundings using minimal irrigation. Each location will surely give you ideas for your own landscape! This year’s Tour will give you ample opportunity to visit the gardens, as well as wander through the exhibitor booths at historic O’Malley’s Portola Inn and enjoy its beautifully designed grounds and gardens. AMWC’s Jaime Lien Hendrickson founded this event in 2006 as a way to showcase the sustainable gardening ideas demonstrated in AMWC’s annual Water-Conserving Landscape Awards. “Autumn is the best time to see the impact of water and discover the plant textures and colors that can create year-round interest in the garden with less water,” Hendrickson says. Tickets can be purchased NOW for $10 at Bay Laurel Nursery (2500 El Camino Real; open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) - cash or check purchases only or the Atascadero Mutual Water Company (5005 El Camino Real; open weekdays from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Fridays 8:00 a.m. - 4:00pm) where credit cards are accepted. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the event between 9—11 am for $15.00 at the McGees Cafe, 9700 El Camino Real. For more information, visit www.amwc.us or www.facebook.com/autumngardentour; call (805) 461-7217, ext. 22; or email [email protected].