A glorious day in the gardens

All hyperbole aside, the Glorious Garden Tour put on by UC Master Gardeners of Madera County in Eastern Madera County on May 16 was, in fact, glorious indeed.

And apparently it was just what the garden doctor ordered.

“We have never had a garden tour in Oakhurst and Coarsegold and I think people were ready,” said Madera Master Gardener Maureen Chase.

The group sold 179 tickets.

“Isn’t that wonderful? We had great support from the community. And it wasn’t just Oakhurst and Coarsegold, it was people visiting from farther afield like Madera, Madera Ranchos and Fresno, including some Fresno Master Gardeners.”

The joyous occasion took place on a perfect day as the green-thumbed crowds converged on four locations, each uniquely displaying what many only dream of: a back yard paradise.

“The homeowners were overjoyed to have so much of the community come to see their gardens. They love sharing and letting people know what grows and what looks beautiful.”

The tour featured three private gardens and a public park.

The Zingrich Garden in Coarsegold is that of John and Kathy Zingrich. It’s certified as a National Wildlife Habitat offering food, water and places to raise young for birds, deer and other wildlife.

Situated on nearly three acres in the hills of Coarsegold, the magical garden is partly landscaped with drip irrigation and the rest is natural.

Kathy Zingrich builds birdhouses and feeders, benches, signs and carts from her cleverly situated workshop on the property which was also open for view. A Fresno Audubon representative was set up at the Zingrich garden to answer questions.

“The Zingrich garden is a great example of ways to repurpose a common item and make it look beautiful,” Chase said.

The Fruehe Garden on the Green in the Goldside Estates neighborhood of Oakhurst began as a renovation project to combine the artist owners’ two loves: golf and gardening.

Tim and Barbara Fruehe designed and created a colorful easy-care garden with the golf course as a backdrop and native valley oaks for shade.

“The Fruehe garden backs up to the golf course and has a lot of intriguing pathways, sitting areas and flowering plants. It’s abundant with color and also has a lot of whimsical art that makes the garden a fun place to be.”

KBD Gardens belongs to Jesse Rodriguez and Robert Kuhl in Coarsegold’s Yosemite Lakes Park, where the goal is to create and maintain a thriving landscape and provide garden to table living.

“The Rodriguez garden has a focus on vegetable and fruit trees and they have a vision of wanting to grow their own food and eat it. It was an opportunity to see how a raised bed was created and the process that goes into having such an amazing garden.”

The public park portion of the tour led participants to Fresno Flats Historic Village in Oakhurst, where Master Gardeners landscaped a stream and wildlife area at the Taylor Log Cabin.

Also on site is a Native Peoples’ garden which showcases plants traditionally used by three local tribes including red bud, deer grass and wild grape.

Fresno Flats is where Chase was stationed throughout the time of the tour, which could not have run successfully without the help of Master Gardeners, all of whom are volunteers.

“We had lots of great veggies to sell, irises, natives and a garden shop with lots of different items like furniture, wind chimes, pots and other fun garden fixtures. I think people enjoyed all aspects of the tour.”

Madera Master Gardeners are growing

With the pun fully intended, Madera Master Gardeners in Eastern Madera County are growing in number with a dozen who are currently members locally and more to come.

The next Master Gardener class begins in January of 2027 and takes 16 weeks to complete.

“And the education doesn’t stop when you become a Master Gardener,” Chase pointed out. “You get access to continuing education from resources including the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center.”

Madera Master Gardeners currently have classes ongoing at the Sierra Senior Center in Oakhurst. Classes and workshops cover a variety of topics of interest locally and all the classes are free.

Proceeds from the Glorious Garden Tour will help fund future classes in the area.

For more information, visit ucanr.edu/county/madera-county/madera-county-master-gardener-program