Self-Guided Garden Tours This Weekend

The following press release was provided by Stephanie Werskey, media coordinator for The Garden Conservancy:

On Saturday, Aug. 13, area residents are invited to explore three private gardens in Marblehead, open to the public for self-guided tours through The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission to each private garden is $5, Open Days are rain or shine, and no reservations are required. Call 1-888-842-2442, or visit www.opendaysprogram.org for more information. A portion of the proceeds from this Open Day will be shared with the Marblehead Conservancy.

Marblehead's Featured Gardens:

The Fettyplace – Bowden House, 15 Waldron Court: Colonies of many prized and unusual perennials, edibles, overwintered annuals, shrubs, and trees cover every available piece of ground. Local stone, ancient cut granite, and bluestone have been used to create raised and sunken planting beds, a patio, and paths, accommodating a lot of plants and creating gathering places for groups of people.

Grey Gulls, 429 Ocean Ave.: Hundreds of unusual annuals, perennials, and bulbs thrive in the challenging coastline environment. Sinuous beds mirror the surrounding curves of shore and sea, and a whimsical vegetable garden features heirloom varieties, vines climbing over wooden obelisks, and space for berries.

The Parable – Ellen Cool’s Garden, 19 Circle St.: Long-blooming, hardy perennials and rock garden plants, dwarf and out-of-the-ordinary trees, shrubs, and vines encompass Cool’s display space used in her landscape design business. The property is planned to be visually appealing in all seasons, and also includes a large collection of planted stone and hypertufa troughs.

The Garden Conservancy introduced the Open Days program in 1995 as a means of introducing the public to gardening, providing easy access to outstanding examples of design and horticultural practice, and proving that exceptional American gardens are still being created. The Open Days program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program, and is made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers nationwide.

For complete descriptions of the gardens participating on this date, click here.