By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

The Venice Garden & Home Tour attracts thousands of visitors every year.  And the gardens shown below, all of which were on last year's tour, are an indication of why that's so.  Venice is full of small, distinctive gardens--everything from cottage to contemporary, quirky to chic.  Often you get to see the homes as well--a little peek into others' lives. The price--$70 the day of the event/$60 in advance--may seem steep.  But there are usually more gardens on the tour than you can see in a day--a minimum of 25.  And the cost is tax-deductible.  Proceeds go to Las Dorados Children's Center.

The tour this year is on May 3.  Follow this link for tickets and further details.

all photos by Eric Staudenmaier