The treehouse in Henry and Debbie Lane's backyard is like a vacation getaway.

Its iron spiral staircase leads to a small room with a table, a few seats and framed vintage photos of New York City and other relics. A hand-carved bench sits next to a barbecue on the balcony, with a view overlooking the rest of their yard and Dalton Gardens.

It all began with the staircase, without any blueprints. Henry started out just wanting a platform where they could watch the sunset. A friend built the treehouse's frame in two and a half days. The Lanes did the rest.

"No plans, (it) just had to fit the staircase," Debbie said. The treehouse is something their four grandkids enjoy, as well as all the curious guests who ascended the stairs and checked out the view during Sunday's 16th annual garden tour, dubbed "Garden Delights."

"I wish I had one of these," said Jason Keen, of Coeur d'Alene, as he gestured to the treehouse while discussing some interesting features he and wife Heather had seen on the tour.

"People have beautiful spaces and lots of beautiful gardens," said Heather Keen.

The Lanes' treehouse was one treat along the "Garden Delights" tour, which took place at various homes in Dalton Gardens, Coeur d'Alene and Hayden. Their backyard also features a Bonnie and Clyde-style 1937 two-door Chevy sedan, complete with bullet holes, and a '41 Chevy pickup truck. A little babbling brook runs in the center of the yard. Their back deck is a cozy outdoor dining room, with the most colorful beaded chandelier.

The stories behind where the gardeners found the decorations in their yards are endless, like the old plow in the Lanes' backyard. It dates back to the '30s, and accentuates the garden's overall vintage feel as it rests in a patch of bark. Debbie said when she saw the $25 pricetag, she had to have it.

"I said 'you got to go see this great big chunk of iron, it's 25 bucks,'" Debbie said. Henry was skeptical, thinking it would cost $125 or $525 from the description she gave him. He said they're worth about $250.

"It's a real plow," Debbie said. She said when they brought it home, their neighbor asked to use it.

"He made it work again," Henry added. "It's a special kind of thing. It rolls the dirt and makes a furrow. It's a real tool."

Many of the five gardens on the tour featured a wide variety of plants and flowers, as well as hand-crafted ornaments and decorations, like Patty Larson's home in the heart of downtown Coeur d'Alene. It showcases Larson's knack for creativity in the various planters, stepping stones and overall design. Tour guests photographed her full-sized tin man made from furnace pieces, as well as her full-sized Great Dane, Gus. Larson's cheerful garden is her paradise, and she said she's proudest that she designed it all herself.

"I lay awake at night and think about stuff," Larson said, referring to her source of inspiration. Her garden began with painting tires and filling them with plants. Through the 13 years she has lived there, she has transformed it into a whimsical place with planters made out of high heels, rubber boots and even two pairs of pants.

Larson's daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter traveled from Sultan, Wash., to join in the garden party. Donna Jo Smith played the harp on Larson's wisteria-wrapped back deck as Larson sat for a moment in the shade. Darla Landreth said she takes after her mom in how unique her own garden is back home, and said her favorite part of her mother's garden is "my mom."

"My yard looks like it does because of my mom," Landreth said.

The backyard of a home in Hayden has been transformed into a grassy hillside work of outdoor art, with rock outcroppings, sweeping views and waterfalls along the trails. At the top of Claudia Lowry and Bob Bloem's hill is the "duck room," a little hideaway where people have to duck to get to two chairs that overlook the property.

Near the "duck room" is a swinging bench that fits two people. Roxanne Whitelight and Ruth Langstraat of Vancouver, Wash., rested and took in the scenery.

"I think what they have done with a challenging lot is miraculous," Whitelight said. "It's just the way that they've incorporated all the different levels together and you know, when you look at every rock up here, and you think they dragged it up here, and then placed it artistically, you can see why it's a 15-year labor of love."

Langstaat was a fan of the water features.

"It's really fun to both hear the water and see the paths that it's taking," she said. "It's so pleasurable."

This 15-year project wowed many of the tour guests, a few of whom claimed it to be the best garden on the tour.

"This is the most creative garden, I think, we've almost ever had on the tour, this or two or three others," said Susi Faville of Lowry and Bloem's garden. Faville, of Hayden, has been in the Coeur d'Alene Garden Club since 1994, and spent the day assisting guests. She said it was really fun to be in the garden all day long and hear the tales behind the creations. "You really get a chance to see the details," she said.

The garden tour was presented by the Coeur d'Alene Garden Club. Info: www.cdagardenclub.com