By LEAH WEATHERSBY

Phinney Ridge resident's landscaping skills will be on display when the community holds its second annual Phinney Garden Tour, Sunday, Sept. 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The self-guided tour, which is being organized by the Phinney Neighborhood Association, begins at the Heart of Phinney Park, located at N. 67th Street and Phinney Avenue N.

Participants will proceed from the park to seven other sites including a bird's dream garden with a hand-painted, tropical birdhouse in the front to the six-story rustic bird condo, a Zen bamboo and water garden and a terraced garden featuring private outdoor spaces for hanging out or stealing a kiss - but don't let yourselves get too carried away.

While some might be surprised at a garden tour so late in the season, the PNA's special events coordinator, Chardell Paine, said there is a good reason to hold it in September.

"We found that from May to August there is a garden tour every weekend somewhere," Paine said.

However, those who attend this tour won't get the short end of the stick. Paine said there are many flowers and plants that thrive in fall.

About 350 people participated in the garden tour during the first year. Paine said she expects about 500 attendees this time around - partly because the garden of Phinney resident Ann LeVasseur, which was part of last year's tour, will be featured in Pacific magazine the week before the event.

Once you've seen these urban green spaces you may be excited to start or improve an outdoor oasis of your own - but there's something you'll need first: 1,000 pounds of poop, or "zoo doo" as it's known on Phinney. You can't obtain 1,000 pounds of this exotic fertilizer just anywhere, but you win it the Garden Tour raffle (courtesy of the Woodland Park Zoo).

Fortunately, the prizes include gardening books is well - the last thing a gardener needs is a pile of doo in the wrong place.

The Phinney Garden Tour is sponsored by Fremont Gardens, Piriformis Nursery and The Aaron Kahn Group-Windermere Northwest Inc. Tickets for the tour are $5 per person and can be purchased in advance at Piriformis Nursery at 1051 N. 35th St. They will also be available on the day of the event at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, located at 6532 Phinney Ave. N. No pets or strollers will be allowed in the gardens. For more information, call 783-2244.