The Monterey Bay Master Gardeners have conducted tours of selected gardens every year for the past eleven years. These tours demonstrated successful garden practices that reflect agricultural research conducted by agricultural scientists of the University of California's Cooperative Extension program and other research centers. These garden tours have all been one-day events in the early fall, and have featured the gardens of members of the MBMG.

In 2008, the organization will build on its experiences to expand the annual tour in major ways. First, the MBMG will partner with local water agencies to select gardens for the tour through a competitive process that focuses on "water-smart" gardening practices.

Second, instead of the traditional one-day tour, the 2008 Water Smart Gardens Tour will be on two consecutive days in August: Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th. The additional day will require little added preparation by the garden owner, and will allow more people to see these exemplary and inspirational gardens.

Third, instead of rotating the tour annually among three regions of the Monterey Bay area, the MBMG will hold three simultaneous tours in the three regions: northern Santa Cruz County, southern Santa Cruz County and Monterey County. All three tours will be on the same two days. Avid gardeners could visit gardens on both days, and could visit different gardens each day with a single ticket.

The Water-Smart Gardens Tour presents an extraordinary opportunity for home gardeners and landscape professionals alike to study and learn water-smart from exemplary gardens within the Monterey Bay area's very special Mediterranean gardening environment.

Come to the Smart Gardening Faire on June 21st  to congratulate the winners of the Water-Smart Garden Contest or perhaps to receive your own prize. Tickets for the Water-Smart Gardens Tours will be available for the first time at the Faire.

After the Faire, the Tour tickets will be available at participating garden centers throughout the Monterey Bay area.