Our Daily Show Interview! 26th Annual Pond-O-Rama Set for June 27th-28th
SAINT LOUIS – The entire region is invited to the 26th annual Pond-O-Rama water garden tour sponsored by the St. Louis Water Garden Society.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 27 and 28, 2026, community members can tour 23 gardens at homes across the Greater St. Louis region. The goal is to raise money for the St. Louis Water Garden Society’s work at the Jewel Box’s lily ponds in Forest Park, while also fostering a love for nature and water gardens.
“It’s just a wonderful way for people to just enjoy a wonderful weekend of beautiful gardens and to get ideas for their own backyards,” said Ginny Mueller with SLWGS. “It’s just really a great tour to not only meet the people, but to learn so much about gardening and fish. Lots of people have koi and beautiful plants. I think that water is one of those most tranquil things that you can be around. It will calm you and make you just feel wonderful for the rest of the weekend.”
SLWGS members come together for monthly meetings to share information about their own water gardens and learn from speakers and each other. They also converge at Forest Park every Saturday to maintain the lily ponds by the Jewel Box, which is their “civic community gift to the City of St. Louis.”
But Pond-O-Rama is their biggest event of the year. There will be 12 sites to visit on Saturday and 11 on Sunday.
Tickets cost $25 per person and can be purchased online or at several local businesses. Tickets for groups of five or more cost $20 per person. Click here to purchase tickets online or see where you can find tickets in person.
Mueller and event chair Lori Stringer couldn’t be more excited to share the tour with community members. Stringer referred to the tour as “a local vacation” and a chance to learn more about local wildlife. She shared that 18 of the featured sites this year contain native plants.
“I think my biggest thing is that we have so many new sites for people to see,” she said. “A number of them have been certified by different conservation or wildlife organizations as being a suitable habitat for birds and other creatures. Water in a garden is such an attractant for the kinds of wildlife that we enjoy viewing. A lot of us are birders. It goes hand in hand.”
SLWGS is also looking for volunteers, and they’re always encouraging new people to join as members. Pond-O-Rama tickets are free for volunteers and members.
Mueller and Stringer agree that all of the organization’s members are passionate, kind people who are eager to share their knowledge and learn more about water gardens, nature and more. If you live in the Greater St. Louis region and you’re interested in water gardens, this society is ideal for you.
“It’s a great group of people,” Mueller added. “We all love gardens. We all love flowers. We all love fish. We all love water features. You just meet the nicest people. I think anyone who comes to the garden tour are the best people ever.”
To learn more about Pond-O-Rama, including how to secure your tickets, visit the official webpage. For more information about the organization and their work, visit the official St. Louis Water Garden Society website.
This Featured Article is sponsored by the St. Louis Water Garden Society. To get your business or organization featured on www.Riverbender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
