Long before they bought their Curtis Park home, Lyn and James Crouch were intrigued by its unusual style.

"I think it's so interesting, such a funny-looking house," Lyn Crouch said. "From the outside, it looks so skinny; it can't help but draw your attention. But once you're inside, it's pretty amazing."

On a corner lot with a "front door" on either street, the Castro Way landmark boasts a living room made for grand occasions. With restored woodwork, the vaulted ceiling soars 18 feet overhead. A Juliet-inspired balcony beckons up a staircase to the bedrooms in this two-story Spanish Revival showcase.

"It's not the easiest room to dust or change a light bulb," said Jim Crouch. "You need a good ladder in this house."

Outside, patio "rooms" wrap around a century-old valley oak, inviting the party to continue outdoors on warm summer evenings.

Many neighbors know the Crouches' home from its exterior. Next Saturday, they'll get a chance to tour inside, too, on the Sierra-Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour. Besides its loving restoration, visitors also will see how modern innovation and clever remodeling can make such a historic home very livable, too.

An invitation to peek behind that interesting door or gate; such is the draw of home and garden tours.

This spring, thousands of local residents will be out in force, supporting arts groups, schools and other worthy causes while giving into the urges of their inner looky-loo.

"It's amazing," said Christine Trice, an organizer for the 13th annual East Sacramento Garden Tour on May 7 and 8. "On average, we sell about 2,000 tickets. About a third attend the luncheon, too. It's become a family tradition for Mother's Day."

These tours are proven money makers. For example, the East Sacramento tour will raise about $40,000 for David Lubin Elementary School programs.

"With all the budget cuts, that's a huge deal," Trice said.

On these tours, visitors see designer gardens as well as rustic retreats. For organizers fretting during a chilly April, warmer spring weather can't come too soon to coax gardens into bloom.

"The weather has been freaky," Trice said. "Two years ago, it was triple digits. Last year, it rained. Thank goodness for container planting; you can bring color in anywhere."

Next weekend starts the Sacramento-area tour season, kicked off by the 25th annual Sierra-Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour with the focus indoors and out. With more than a thousand visitors expected, the event features the Crouches' house and six more one-of-a-kind neighborhood gems.

The event is billed as "the happiest day in the neighborhood." Lyn Crouch agrees.

"In Curtis Park, we all love to visit each other's homes," she said. "Open houses are an event. This tour is pretty low-key; the homes are decorated by the owners, not professionally staged. It feels more homey."

That adds to its charm, say the organizers.

Said chairwoman Lori Harder, "The homes reflect the lifestyles (and tastes) of their owners; from traditional to contemporary, whimsical to sophisticated, neutral to colorful."

"We do a lot of recruiting and we have scouts, too," said Janice Calpo, a Sacramento architectural historian and an organizer for the Curtis Park tour. "With some people, it takes years to convince them (to be part of the tour). I've been working on (the Crouches) for quite awhile. They finally said OK."

The time is right. This silver anniversary tour celebrates the 1923 Heibron Oaks subdivision, of which the Crouches' home is part.

Designed for Sacramento City College arts professor Harold Ward and his pianist wife Maybelle, the home was built around art and music. With high-arched windows flooding the space with natural light, the living room served as a Sunday salon where the Wards' friends would gather to hear Maybelle play and view floor-to-ceiling artwork, suspended by wires.

Next Saturday on tour day, soloist Connor Mickiewicz, artistic director of the New Helvetia Theatre, and pianist Erik Daniells will re-create that ambience with a 2 p.m. performance. Members of the Sacramento Art Deco Society will serve as guides.

Besides the original light fixtures and beautiful woodwork, the home also features some great ideas to blend new with old. For example, the refrigerator and other appliances in the recently remodeled galley-style kitchen are hidden by whitewashed cabinet doors.

Jim Crouch points up to the innovative roof, which looks normal but actually draws air through layers. It keeps the house cooler in summer, warmer in winter and cuts down energy costs.

"It acts like a passive solar roof," he explained. "It's pretty ingenious."

An old basketball court made way for a new patio in the shade of the massive oak. Permeable pavers allow the tree's shallow roots room to breathe and get enough moisture.

"We wanted an older home with mature growth," he added. "We got it all in this house. We've made a lot of changes over the years, but it's still retained its unique character."

SPRING HOME AND GARDEN TOURS

Looking for garden inspiration? Cure spring fever with a home or garden tour. Here's a sample of what's on tap this tour season in the greater Sacramento area:

Click here for a map.

• SIERRA-CURTIS PARK HOME TOUR

Where to start: Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St., Sacramento

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. next Saturday

Tickets: $20 in advance at Haus, Collected Works and the Sierra 2 Center; $25 day of tour at Sierra 2 Center and the north end of Curtis Park

Details: www.sierra2.org.

Highlights: Hosted by the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association, this 25th annual event features seven homes with new and expanded kitchens, family rooms, master bedroom suites and in-law quarters as well as spectacular gardens. A fundraiser for the Sacramento Children's Home and SCNA, the tour includes lunch, refreshments, live music and vintage cars.

• SIERRA OAKS GARDEN TOUR

Where to start: Sierra Oaks School, 171 Mills Road, Sacramento

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. next Saturday; 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. May 1

Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 day of tour. Advance tickets available online or at the school, Fair Oaks Nursery, Haus and The Gifted Gardener, among other locations.

Details: www.sierra oaksgardentour.com or (916) 575-2390

Highlights: Benefiting Sierra Oaks School, this tour explores five beautiful gardens on historic Crocker Road plus a sixth garden on Sierra Oaks Drive. The homes include a Spanish Revival mansion built in 1928 by a member of the Crocker family, a storybook Tudor, a traditional English cottage and a classic ranch house.

• GARDENS OF FOLSOM

Where to start: 2130 Entwistle Court, Folsom

When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. next Saturday and May 1

Tickets: $12; available in advance online and at Green Valley Nursery in El Dorado Hills and other locations

Details: www.folsomgarden.org or (916) 985-0167

Highlights: Presented by the Folsom Garden Club, this 11th annual tour offers six gardens filled with inspiration for DIY projects as well as showcasing local landscapers. Proceeds benefit scholarships for Folsom students and community service projects.

• PENCE GALLERY GARDEN TOUR

Where to start: Pence Gallery, 212 D St., Davis, or at 37810 Russell Blvd., Davis

When: Noon-5 p.m. May 1

Tickets: $25 in advance at gallery; $28 day of tour

Details: www.pencegallery.org or (530) 758-3370

Highlights: Supporting educational programs of this nonprofit gallery, this 20th annual tour celebrates eight art-filled gardens in west Davis with a twist – artists painting the inspirational scenery during the event. This tour's country-style gardens include orchards, huge vegetable plots, native plants and creek-side living.

• LAND PARK GARDEN TOUR AND TEA

Where to start: Holy Spirit Church, 3159 Land Park Drive, Sacramento

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 7; tea served at noon

Tickets: Tour, $20 in advance, $25 day of tour; tea and tour, $40 in advance. Available at the church office, Capital Nursery, Lofing Lighting and other locations.

Details: www.hs-ps.com or (916) 446-5700

Highlights: Spiked with props borrowed from the Crocker Art Museum, the Sacramento Zoo and California Musical Theatre, this unusual tour features beautiful gardens in the Land Park neighborhood and an optional lavish tea service at a private estate. Among the displays will be wedding- and birthday-themed gardens. Proceeds benefit the Holy Spirit Parish School fine arts program and Mustard Seed School arts education. A boutique at the church also will be open on tour day.

• ST. JOHN'S GARDEN TOUR

Where to start: St. John's Episcopal Church, 2341 Floral Ave., Chico

When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 7

Tickets: $20 advance, $25 day of tour. Tickets available at the church and several Chico garden shops.

Details: www.stjohnschico.org or (530) 894-1971.

Highlights: Benefiting several Chico area charities, this 28th annual tour features five gardens, luncheon and a plant boutique.

• EAST SACRAMENTO GARDEN TOUR

Where to start: Lubin School, 3535 M St., Sacramento

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 7 and 8

Tickets: $20; $35 for tour and luncheon

Details: www.eastsacgardentour. com or (916) 491-4952, ext. 45

Highlights: A fundraiser for David Lubin Elementary School, this 13th annual event – featuring seven gardens in the Fabulous 40s – offers an optional tea luncheon at Sutter Lawn Tennis Club, catered by Gonul's. A boutique in the school's multipurpose room is free without a tour ticket.

• GARDENS IN THE HILLS

Where to start: Enchanted April Inn, 5950 Salmon Falls Road, Pilot Hill, or other gardens on tour

When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. May 14, noon-5 p.m. May 15

Tickets: $20 general, $10 children under age 12; available at Pottery World, El Dorado Hills, and other locations; map included with tickets.

Details: (916) 933-1799

Highlights: Presented by the Assistance League of the Sierra Foothills, this event combines six spectacular gardens – including a 25-acre Italianate villa and a unique bed-and-breakfast inn – in the El Dorado Hills- Serrano area with art and music. Painters will capture the scenery as musicians entertain garden visitors. Proceeds will go towards providing clothing and sports equipment to needy and homeless children in El Dorado County.

• MAPLE ROCK GARDENS TOUR

Where to start: Maple Rock Gardens, 100 Clark Tunnel Road, Penryn

When: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. June 18

Tickets: $5

Details: www.maplerockgardens .com or call (916) 663-3887

Highlights: This spectacular private garden includes groves of Japanese maples, ponds, waterfalls and its own imaginative railway with model trains running through the flowers and forest. Proceeds benefit Sacramento Children's Home.

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Call The Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075.

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