Eight gardeners will welcome visitors into their yards for this year’s Jasper Secret Garden Tour on July 24. 

The tours have been running since 2004, but this year will be a special edition. Judy Krefting, director of library services for the Jasper Municipal Library, said they hope to sell a few more tickets this year as a fund-raiser for the library. 

The identity of those welcoming guests to see their beautiful gardens is being kept a secret, but by purchasing a ticket the tour destination can be revealed. 

Krefting said the self-guided tour is for visitors to check out what their neighbours have been working on all spring. 

“It’s not a contest,” Krefting said. “It’s just people interested in gardening and having fun.”

Visitors can chat with the gardeners and discover what can be grown in Jasper’s unique mountain environment. 

“There is an interest in gardening and people love to showcase their gardens,” Krefting said. 

Topics each gardener will address include the many successes and failures they have encountered while attempting to maintain their flowers, vegetables and fruit. 

“It’s just interesting to see what people have tried to grow in their gardens,” Krefting said. 

In addition to the eight gardens, there will be two bonus gardens this year and many other activities ongoing throughout the afternoon. 

The Jasper Local Food Society will be showcasing their community gardens on the library grounds from 1 to 3 p.m. This will be the first time the grounds of the library have been shown as part of the Secret Garden Tour.

Following the community garden tour, there will be a Garden Concerto at 3 p.m. Opera singer Diana Inscho will perform thanks to Creative Campus, who helped bring the artist to Jasper for the event.

Tickets are available at the Jasper Municipal Library. The tour will run from 1 to 4 p.m. On July 24.