An Afternoon at the 2016 Corrales Garden Tour

Posted from Bakersfield CA.

Last Sunday, Reid, Amy, Pam and I attended the Corrales Garden Tour.  Cousin Linda lives in the village was again on this year's Garden Tour Committee.  She was at one of the six home on display.   We got our tickets near the Produce Market in town and then followed our map to visit each of homes.

Corrales Valley is next to the Rio Grande and has a good water supply for farming and gardening in the area.

The color of the flowers and Mexican Tile caught my eye at the first house.

 But the noteworthy aspect of the garden was the two very large fish ponds that are kept stocked with sizable ones.

 Many times the gardens are not dependant on lots of water, but rather those that need very little.

 I am about as good at naming plants as I am birds so I'm not much help identifying these fragrant yellow bushes.

These are like most gardens and take a lot of TLC and work.  But they were gorgeous.

 Many of the homes had artists who were set up and painting scenes from a shaded vantage point.

 This might have been my favorite home where the homeowner, in blue, gave us a guided tour.

Her mom, in the red top, has been visiting for weeks and did a lot of the work getting the gardens on the property in shape for all the visitors.

This was a typical check in point at a home on the tour.  It is set on the mountainside near Rio Rancho.

 Inside, we found these three authors who also are RVers and were selling their latest books.  I know it would be helpful it I had taken a card and gotten their names and website correct.

Maybe they will see this and add a comment.  Stranger things have happened.

Some of the homes had lots of garden area, others had a few plants along a wall or near the house.  All were beautifully done and many with grass which surprised me.  I figured most would be yards requiring minimum irrigation.

 Some had beautiful porches of this variety.  I like the separated beams with the mesh fabric over top.

 Then the highlight of the tour -- we got to see cousin Linda!  She is very active on the committee and was filling in as a parking director.

 She took time out to chat with us and catch up on grandkids and such.  Priorities.

 This is the last home of the tour and looks across the mesa and Rio Grande and downtown Albuquerque and the Sandias in the distance.

 Each home had a volunteer or two from the Sandoval County Master Gardener group and they answered all our questions.  But here at this back porch view, we mostly enjoyed the breathtaking view.

It was a fun way to spend the afternoon and we topped it off with some dinner at the world famous El Pinto Restaurant.

 It was a great way to wind up our stay in the Albuquerque area!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!