To say I live for the Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour could quite possibly be an understatement. The motto “real gardens by real people” is a mantra for me. Throw in Mary Lou’s inspirational personal story, raising money for a great cause (The Sheepfold Women’s Shelter), and a self guided tour of beautiful local gardens tended by the nicest people you could ever meet and I’m in 110%. 
The first year my moon garden (that’s a garden with only white flowers) was a host garden on the tour was 2008. I chalk it up as one of the happiest and most exhausting days of my life. It’s also the day I got my first rock. Yes, you heard me. Not just any rock, a rock engraved with “Mary Lou Host 2008” and a little flower sketch that is just so Mary Lou. 
I became a Board member of the Mary Lou Heard Foundation in 2015 and have had the pleasure of volunteering many hours with, again, the nicest people you could ever meet. I was very excited we had 43 inspirational gardens for the 2020 Tour and even scheduled a vacation the week before the tour to put the finishing touches of window washing and pathway vacuuming on my own garden when COVID 19 hit. The Board decided to postpone to a “movable date” but the first weekend of May - the garden tour date since 1994 - was fast approaching and I felt lost and helpless. What could I do?  How could I help heal the world?  Then the idea of delivering rocks to our disappointed but extremely understanding (and nicest people you could ever meet) hosts hit me like, well, like a rock fired from a slingshot. I could deliver the highly coveted rock with a thank you note and even make short videos of each garden to share on The Facebook. 
I visited 9 gardens the first day (Tuesday).  I didn’t realise how fortunate I was on Garden #1-slipping into a gated community in Long Beach right behind the mail truck. The first video session was a little tentative. After all, I was an unannounced stranger walking through the yard clearly making a video and there were SO MANY shelter in place people walking around, riding bikes, and talking on the phone. Still, it was nirvana. My own personal do-gooder garden tour. 
I visited 12 gardens the second day (Wednesday).  I was getting bolder - making longer videos, and getting caught by keen hosts that let me (while responsibly wearing a mask) video their backyard too. The dozens of likes, loves, and positive comments on social media reved my personal engine, and then I saw it. Three little words that shifted me into overdrive. They were “thanks for sharing ❤️.”
Thursday morning about 8:30 a.m. I received a phone call from one of the garden hosts that had spotted me in his front yard the first day. He suggested I add a donation link to the social media posts. Great idea!  I agreed to do it. Then he said something that impassioned me. He said “what you’re doing is really great.  It should be in the newspaper and maybe that would help bring in donations.”
I visited another 12 gardens that day (Thursday).  I was going to take a break because oddities were happening. I witnessed a cat attack a dog and a heron catch a gopher for lunch. I also had the now and again kerfuffle with the occasional curb (if you pay close attention to the videos you’ll find at least five), but now the mission to deliver rocks and post an inspirational virtual garden tour took on newsworthy proportions. I was all in. 
I awoke at 6 a.m. to visit the final 10 gardens on Friday. My husband already knew my claim to be back in three hours was a total falsehood. He’d be lucky to see me in six, and it didn’t matter because I was so clearly happy.  Delirious and perhaps obsessed (ok, totally obsessed) but empowered in my full commitment to The Mission. 
Driving from Long Beach to San Clemente, Huntington Beach to Yorba Linda I ventured on more streets, boulevards, freeways, and toll roads than I could count. I was blessed to encounter not only exclusive strolls of beautiful yards, but also engage in conversation with (dare I say) the nicest people you could ever meet. I embraced the many chats (and a few arguments) with my navigation system, as well as two very enthusiastic Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Most important to me were the smiles, embodied by 100’s upon 100’s of affectionate likes, at Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour on Facebook - which now took on the aura of a glorious virtual garden tour. By golly, I delivered all 43 rocks in four days. Take that corona virus!  This was not the garden tour that wasn’t. THIS WAS THE GARDEN TOUR THAT WAS!