Dolly Turner is an artist. But her canvas is not made of white cloth, a music staff or even a piece of paper. Instead, her canvas is dirt with the grand backdrop of Lake Washington. Even the darkest day in the last month couldn’t ruin the brilliance of Turner’s colorful creation – her Kirkland home’s garden.

“I have something in bloom every month of the year,” said Turner. “I think it is at its greatest peak of beauty in late May.”

Although it is now late June, the colors of her garden still burst to life as she prepares her garden to take its place in the Ninth Annual Symphony of Gardens Tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Turner’s house will be one of five unique gardens on the Eastside – including two in Bellevue and two in Yarrow Point. The tour will be accompanied by classic cars, live music, refreshments and will benefit the Bellevue Philharmonic.

“This is my first year on the tour and my garden is not professionally designed,” said Turner, who used to belong to a garden club. “I try to combine things so that the fragrance and the colors compliment each other.”

Turner said that she got a sneak peak at all the gardens on the tour and was very impressed.

“There was one garden on Yarrow Point that blew me away,” said Turner. “All the gardens were very worth while and very different from each other.”

Turner said that she has lived in the house for 14 or 15 years but in the immediate area for 48 years.

“I have lived in three different houses in this cul-de-sac,” said Turner, whose other two houses also had gardens. “This house belonged to my mother-in-law and we used to go to garden stores together.”

Turner said that her garden needs about five hours of work each week to keep up. But she also hires people to mow the lawn and weed the garden. Turner also has a few “helpers.”

“I have some volunteer planters – the squirrels,” said Turner. “I really hate what they put in.”

She said that several plants have grown in her garden that she knows she did not plant. She said that the birds could also be contributing to her canvas. One such plant is a Yaka in her front yard.

“Every so often it just appears,” said Turner. “If they think it needs to go there they might be right. But I can never get any figs cause the squirrels wont let me.”

Turner said that she goes bonkers for her wisteria, which comes out in late spring and loves her Peonies blossoms, which are as big as a dinner plate.

Turner said that a friend thought her garden was pretty and recommended it for the garden tour.

“I was willing to do it,” said Turner. “I know I am lucky to have this lake view and I just hope that they enjoy it. I am happy to tell them the names of anything in it presuming I don’t have one of those senior moments … a garden gives great pleasure to those that work in it and see it.”

Tickets for the garden tour can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006. Tickets may also be purchased at Bellevue Nursery, Wells Medina Nursery or Raven Gardens in Kirkland. The classic cars you will see at the gardens will also parade through the Bellevue Botanical Garden parking lot from 1-2 p.m.