The St. Louis Water Garden Society will host its 26th-Pond-O-Rama Annual Aquatic Garden and Landscapes Tour on June 27–28, 2026, from 9–5 p.m. each day. Each day of the tour will feature different private water gardens owned and maintained by society members.
Self-Guided Tours
The Pond-O-Rama Aquatic Gardens and Landscapes Tour is a self-guided exploration of water gardens throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. The tour provides an opportunity for members to showcase their beautiful gardens, as well as for local landscapers, contractors, and aquatic centers to present water-feature installations and new builds.
A full-color tour booklet serves as both ticket and guide book to each location. The printed book includes photos and descriptions of each host garden – featuring new or upgraded gardens, ponds, and waterfalls, plus directions and accessibility information.
Tour hosts are eager to share their expertise with the public. Many are Master Gardeners who have built native landscapes certified by the Audubon Society. Some of their show-stopping gardens have been featured in local newspapers and magazines, like St. Louis Homes and Lifestyle which sponsors the tour.
The two-day tour showcases a wide variety of water gardens—from newly constructed to well established, intimate spaces to entire yards, with stunning features like bridges, gazebos, koi and goldfish, waterfalls, statues, bubblers and more.
Local landscape architects, designers, and contractors are invited to submit projects to be included on the tour. For consideration, please contact Ginny Mueller, vcmueller16@gmail.com.
In addition to inspiring appreciation for water landscapes, the annual Pond-O-Rama Aquatic Gardens and Landscapes Tour funds the Water Garden Society’s civic project—planting and maintaining the lily ponds at the Jewel Box in Forest Park. St. Louis Water Garden Society members volunteer weekly from May through October to make the elegant, serene lily ponds ready for the millions who visit Forest Park each year.
To support this project, please consider becoming an annual St. Louis Water Garden Society member and sponsor. The Society provides excellent resources for water garden enthusiasts through regular, educational programming. If you would like to share your knowledge and expertise with our members, joining is a great first step. Membership information is available on the website, https://slwgs.org.
Tickets for the two-day tour are $25 and will be made available online and at retail locations throughout the St. Louis Metro Area in May 2026.
