The Island Gardener, June 2026

||| FROM ROBIN SULLIVAN for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB |||

There is something wonderfully comforting about looking back through the history of our Garden Tour and Garden Faire and realizing that, despite the passing years and changing times, the heart of it all has remained beautifully the same.

I was deeply inspired by the article our club historian, Perri Gibbons, wrote about the rich history of these beloved traditions. It reminded me that while details may evolve, the reasons we gather together have always been rooted in community, curiosity, beauty, and connection. Of course, our tour has long served as the club’s important annual fundraiser, but perhaps even more meaningful is the way it brings people together to learn, to share, and to celebrate the magic growing all around us.

And maybe now, in a world that can sometimes feel a little less gentle and a little less beautiful, these moments of connection matter more than ever. I imagine every Garden Club president has sat quietly at some point and wondered: What do I hope my legacy will be? Should the tour raise the most money? Be the most breathtaking? The most educational?

Laura and I certainly pondered all of these things. But in the end, what mattered most to us was creating a tour that felt welcoming and inclusive — one that truly belonged to the whole community. We wanted to share the gifts of this island with everyone, regardless of age, experience, or gardening knowledge.

One especially joyful addition this year grew from the idea that gardening should begin with wonder — especially for children. Robin Latham, one of our extraordinary new members, encouraged us to create activities designed just for young explorers. She reminded us that to nurture a lifelong love of gardening, we must first help children fall in love with nature itself — with dirt beneath their fingernails, flowers swaying in the breeze, birdsong in the garden, and the simple delight of making something with their own hands.

Robin has lovingly created activities throughout the tour that invite children to discover, imagine, and create. At 4th Seed, the wool dyeing farm, children can try their hand at trellis weaving; at West Beach Farm, they can make whimsical pinecone bird feeders using peanut butter and seeds for our feathered garden friends. These are only a few of the many magical experiences she has planned. We hope you will embrace these moments of childhood discovery as part of our effort to welcome every generation into the joy of gardening.

This year we also found opportunities to educate and care for our community in thoughtful new ways. Visitors will notice sanitizing mats at garden entrances, helping protect our hosts’ gardens and farms from harmful biohazards. What began as a practical solution also became an opportunity for learning — reminding us how interconnected our gardens truly are, and how caring for one another’s spaces is another form of stewardship and kindness.

Perhaps most exciting of all has been the chance to celebrate the incredible creativity and talent found here on Orcas Island. Across our seven gardens you will find artists, musicians, growers, dreamers, and teachers generously sharing their gifts. We are honored to feature artists such as Barbara Babcock and Virginia Sides; musicians including the joyful ukulele group and Scott and Lee Rome; as well as experienced growers offering wisdom on large-scale farming.

Together they remind us that gardening belongs to everyone. Whether your garden is a sunny field, a windowsill, a greenhouse, or simply a hopeful pot on the porch, there is room for all of us to grow.

Most of all, we hope this year’s tour leaves you feeling inspired — inspired to plant something beautiful, to learn something new, to connect more deeply with your community, and perhaps to dream a little bigger than before. Laura and I are so grateful to share this journey with all of you, and we hope you leave this year’s Garden Tour feeling more connected, more creative, and more in love with the beauty that surrounds us every day.