It's not that often that South Dakota can claim a perfect weather day. But for Chris and Susan Jaeger's recent Staycation Garden Party, the wind was calm, the temperature was just right and the sun was on its best behavior as a gathering of about 20 master gardeners and friends enjoyed a unique social occasion.

And the garden was lovely - with a variety of landscaped nooks and niches perfect for introductions and conversations as the group caught up with old friends and made new acquaintances.

For the Jaegers themselves, their secluded grounds surrounded by forestlands on the outskirts of Rapid City are a refuge and place of renewal that counterbalance their busy lives. Over the years, they have used plantings, rocks, water elements and retaining walls to create a backyard that is a distinct change of pace.

That's why the recent concept of "staycations" has resonance for the Jaegers and for other gardeners and neighbors who have come to realize that, sometimes, the best getaway can be measured in steps, not miles.

As the cost of traveling has skyrocketed in recent months, more and more people across the nation are deciding that a beautiful spot of nature in their own backyard has as much to offer in terms of refreshment and "attitude adjustment" as packing up the car and heading down the highway to the latest vacation "hot spot."

And for the Jaegers, honoring the master gardeners, whose classes and advice have helped them create their home-centered haven, with a garden party was a great way to expand the "staycation" concept into participating in new experiences at home.

After all, before the age of the automobile, Americans spent their leisure time close to home with neighbors and friends: Picnics, informal games of baseball or horseshoes, harvest festivals - and garden parties - are a few examples of ways people enjoyed themselves in earlier times.

When Mary Lou and Glenn Paulsen received an invitation to the Jaeger's Staycation Garden Party, Mary Lou, a master gardener, says she was "quite stunned. I had no idea what it meant." In fact, Paulsen wondered if it was an invitation to some type of Tupperware party.

But, in fact, the Paulsens themselves had been putting into practice the staycation concept, even if they were unfamiliar with the term.

Last year, the summer heat became so intense, the only enjoyable time for the Paulsens to be outdoors was after 10 p.m. in the evening. That fact led them to buy a gazebo as a matter of necessity to cut the heat, according to Paulsen.

"Once we got it, the gazebo was a surprise to us," she said. "How nice it is to sit in there and be transported to another place."

Going to the Jaeger's garden party was another way to enjoy new experiences close to home, especially as the Paulsens, along with many of the guests, had never met the Jaegers before. "I saw people there that I hadn't seen for a long time," Paulsen said. "It was really interesting."

Bill and Jeanette Keck were also guests at the garden party. Bill Keck is the Pennington County Extension agent and does much of the training for master gardeners. Jeanette also enjoyed both seeing old friends and meeting some new ones, and agreed that, although she had never heard the term "staycations," the idea was one that was percolating within her family and social circles.

"I think a lot of my friends and I are talking about the fact that we are retired, and we should be able to go on vacations … but now it seems we are talking about doing more things around the area and staying," she said.

The idea of staying connected to people in the community is coming more to the fore, Keck said. "We are spending more time at home and becoming more involved with friends and family."

For Susan Jaeger, her party had all the right elements to be a wonderful success. "I think people really enjoyed it. I got compliments from the invitations, to the cupcakes to the whole environment. People were so excited to be invited."

The master gardeners and Jaeger's neighbors turned out to be a great mix, with little groups of three or five gathering in the corners of the yard to talk about the season's gardening and landscaping challenges. The Jaegers took the opportunity to get some horticultural advice from some of their guests, and are looking forward to implementing some of those suggestions.

All in all, the Staycation Garden Party was a pleasure for the hosts and the guests. "They got out of the box, and so did we," Jaeger concluded.

Contact Laura Tonkyn at 394-8405 or laura.tonkyn@rapidcityjournal.com.