Home & Garden Briefs

In brief

Parade of Ponds: The fifth annual Parade of Ponds, a tour of home gardens with water features around the Puget Sound area, is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Friday.

The tour boasts more than 100 water features. View ponds, waterfall and streams. Learn about aquatic plants and fish.

Tickets are $15 at Russell Watergardens, 24808 Redmond-Fall City Road, Redmond.

Proceeds benefit uncompensated care at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

For tickets or information, call 800-844-9314 or visit www.russellwatergardens.com.

Whidbey Island tour: The ninth annual Whidbey Island Garden Tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The tour stops at six private gardens on Whidbey Island and features everything from roses and rare and unusual plants, to stops at an organic farm and a homestead.

Tickets are $20, $10 ages 12 and younger.

For information on where the tour begins and how to get tickets, call 360-321-4191 or visit www.wigt.org.

Snohomish Garden Tour: Snohomish Garden Club hosts its 20th annual Garden Tour from noon to 5 p.m. July 25.

The tour features eight Snohomish area gardens and the Garden Tour Market located in the Old Snohomish Village.

This year’s tour features a stop at Karen Guzak and Warner Blake’s home. Guzak and Blake placed third in the 11th annual Pacific Northwest Competition for Home Gardeners.

Additional highlights include a chance to meet TV and radio personality Fran Sorin. Sorin will be at one of the tour gardens.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased the day of the tour at the Carnegie Building, 105 Cedar Ave., Snohomish. Advance tickets are available at various locations.

For information or tickets, call 360-568-2526 or visit www.ci.snohomish.wa.us.

Historic house tours: The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Seattle expand monthly public tours of two Seattle historic homes, the Stimson-Green Mansion and the H.H. Dearborn House.

Tours are 1 to 2:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month and 5:30 to 7 p.m. the fourth Mondays of June through August.

Tickets are $10. Registration required.

For information, call 206-622-6952 or visit www.historicseattle.org and www.wa-trust.org.

Ugly couch contest: Sure Fit Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of ready-made slipcovers, announces the 10th anniversary of its annual “Ugly Couch Contest.”

Contestants are invited to submit a photo of their ugly couch to potentially win $5,000, plus their choice of 10 Sure Fit products from its complete decorating line.

Entries will be accepted July 1 through Aug. 6. Ten semi-finalists will be chosen and their couches posted online for the public to vote on from Aug. 12 through 25.

The three finalists will receive an all expense paid trip to New York City to appear on “Live with Regis &Kelly” in Sept., where the studio audience will vote for the grand prize winner.

For official rules, visit www.surefit.com.

Meerkerk Medley: The fourth annual Meerkerk Medley fund-raising dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m. July 31.

Guests have the opportunity to dine in private homes followed by gourmet desserts, fine wines and live music by Azul in the Meerkerk Rhododendron Garden in Greenbank on Whidbey Island.

Tickets are $40.

For tickets or reservations, call 360-331-5816.

Woodinville Tour of Gardens 2004: The annual Woodinville Tour of Gardens features five private Woodinville and Redmond gardens and is a fundraiser event sponsored by the Woodinville Garden Club.

The tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 10.

Tickets are $15 and are available at Molbak’s in Woodinville and Classic Nursery in Redmond. For information, call 425-882-2986.

Mill Creek garden tour: Tour seven new and established gardens in styles ranging from rustic to Roman at the Mill Creek Area Garden Tour.

The tour is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 17 and is presented by the Mill Creek Garden Club.

Additional events include an artist showcase and items sold by a local craftsman at one garden.

Tickets are $12.

For tickets, call 425-273-0418.

Herald staff and news services