The work of the elves will help you locate the Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park on Saturday

Elves at work in their secret workshop

Story and photos by Sally Yamasaki

The morning of Lake Forest Park’s Secret Garden tour feels magical. When we wake up on that day, our little town is transformed-- amassed with small Secret Garden signs with arrows pointing in all directions so visitors can find their way to the secret-garden locations.

Ellyn Saunders, Mark Phillips, Connie Barnes, Linda Barrslage Benson

Do you ever wonder how all of the directional signs magically appear?

Last Sunday, LFP Secret Garden “elf” volunteers busied themselves, carefully pulling off the old arrows from last year’s directional signs. Then studying this year’s secret map, they cut new arrows to place guidance to this year’s gardens. 

Linda Barrslag-Benson and Ellyn Saunders

Then, in the wee hours of the morning of the garden tour, they work their magic!

“The first Secret Garden Tour of Lake Forest Park was in 2003,” according to Roz Bird. 

She continued, “The organizations that present and benefit from the Garden Tour are the LFP Garden Club, The Friends of Third Place Commons, ShoreLake Arts, and the LFP Stewardship Foundation. 

"They use the funds to help provide free community programs. Some proceeds also support new public art in LFP.”

So don’t miss all of the magic of this year’s Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park Garden Tour and Market on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

More information and tickets here