For one weekend, the lawns, flower beds and hidden backyard gems that are typically reserved for a household’s usual members become a horticultural sight for locals to explore.

For years, winding garden paths and pollinator-friendly landscapes have been carefully curated in homeowners’ outdoor spaces across the city.

Now, with their gardens in full bloom, homes in the Colorado Springs Country Club area and nearby neighborhoods will soon open their gates to the public for the annual Colorado Springs Garden Tour, “A Treasure Trove of Gardens.”

Returning June 27-28 for its 15th year, the tour also marks a major milestone this summer: the showcase of its 100th featured garden since the event first sprouted in 2011.

Sponsored by Phelan Gardens, the tour serves as the only annual fundraiser for Friends of eXtension, a nonprofit group created to support Colorado State University Extension programs in El Paso County.

As of 2025, FOX has distributed more than $156,000 in grants supporting agriculture education, community gardens and local nonprofit efforts throughout the region.

“Everybody’s always excited about the tour, and we get so many great comments about how it inspires people in so many different ways,” FOX president and tour manager Joan Nusbaum said. “Inspiration not only as a gardener and what you can do in the garden, but also as a leader for the community. People are excited to get behind something successful and also helpful to the community.” 

With no pending plans regarding which initiative to support with this year’s funds, FOX is currently accepting applications from local groups and organizations. 

Tickets for the self-guided tour cost $25 and can be purchased at several local garden centers, including the CSU Extension office, McCord’s Garden Center, Pura Vida Garden Center, Summerland Gardens and Sunset Greenhouse.

Once visitors purchase a ticket, they’ll receive a list of addresses and can begin the tour at any featured home, exploring at their own pace between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

“You’ll learn about the difference between perennials and annuals, natives and non-natives and things that will attract pollinators,” Nusbaum said. “People are learning about those kinds of things, not only on the tour, but also when they contact the CSU Extension or the horticulture office. They learn that it’s all very achievable.” 

With around 30 volunteers, each tour stop includes a homeowner host and a Colorado State University master gardener available to answer questions and share gardening advice tailored to the space.

“Let’s say someone has a really small garden,” Nusbaum said. “They’ll go to one of the homes and see even just a corner of the property, and they’ll say, ‘Wow, we could do that.’ They’ll talk with the homeowner and with the master gardener to find out what they did to achieve that in the garden, then they can replicate it.” 

Whether locals arrive with years of gardening experience or just a single potted plant on their porch, the tour offers a chance to gather inspiration from one garden and plant it in another. 

IF YOU GO

What: Colorado Springs Garden Tour
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28
Where: Tickets can be purchased at various locations

• Phelan Gardens, 4955 Austin Bluffs Parkway
• CSU Extension office, 17 N. Spruce St. 
• McCord’s Garden Center, 2720 McShane Drive
• Pura Vida Garden Center, 1330 N. Walnut St. 
• Summerland Gardens, 806 Arcturus Drive
• Sunset Greenhouse, 1023 Sunset Road

Price: $25, extensionfriends.org