Open Days Digs Deeper

In June, our Open Days program launched Digging Deeper, a series of experiential and educational events that invite the public to take a closer look at the gardening world. Farmers, alpinists, potters, specialty growers, and others will share their perspectives on the meaning of gardening and welcomed an intimate group of guests to the place where they garden. Open Days visitors may tour with them, watch a demonstration, or enjoy a tasting. The idea is to dig deep and have fun.

On Saturday, June 13, our first event, "A Locavore’s Posy — European Hand-Tied Bouquet Demonstration," was presented by Dundee Butcher at Digging Dog Nursery in Albion, CA. Dundee describes her Russian River Flower School in Healdsburg as “a Northern California flower school with a European twist.” There she focuses on teaching floral design techniques that embrace the slow flowers concept by incorporating local seasonal materials. For this Digging Deeper event, she created a bouquet drawn from the gardens surrounding Digging Dog Nursery.

This Digging Deeper event took place during our Mendocino Open Day. Participants in the event were also admitted free to the full Open Day, which featured Digging Dog Nursery and two other terrific gardens.

• Kate Frey’s beautiful one-acre sustainable habitat garden in Hopland, California. In a special piece for the Garden Conservancy, Kate writes about her garden and design philosophy, as well as her award-winning gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London. (And not just one simple award. Kate won two gold and one silver-gilt medal at Chelsea—more than any other American to date.)
• Piccolo Fiume with its podocarpus hedge and a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean will also be open for visitors.
• Digging Dog Nursery, a mail-order nursery will welcome visitors on this Open Day and is hosting the "A Locavore's Posy" demonstration. Space at the demonstration is very limited, so be sure to register early. Garden Conservancy members get a discount to the demonstration.

Check our website for upcoming Digging Deeper programs throughout the Open Days season.

Elsewhere in Open Days around the country…

It’s been a terrific Open Days season so far. After a long and seemingly endless winter, spring arrived in full force and visitors flocked to enjoy masses of snowdrops at Hitch Lyman’s garden in Trumansburg, NY, and thousands of daffodils in the White Garden in Westchester County, NY.

Daffodils blanket the woodland at the White Garden. Photo by Robin Lensi, Lensi Designs Photography

In southern California, we had a winning combination of beautiful weather and beautiful gardens, including Julie Newmar’s Los Angeles garden, which was featured in the Los Angeles Times before the tour.

Julie Newmar and  Joseph Marek, the newest Garden Conservancy board member and our Los Angeles regional representative for Open Days, at the local Open Day on May 3

The ever-popular spring Open Day at the Steinhardt Garden in Mt. Kisco, NY, drew more than 1,800 visitors, including Girl Scout troop 34266 from Monroe, CT, who earned their gardening badges that day. Horticulturalist Nathan Lamb led them through the maple collection and the vegetable garden and answered questions from this next generation of gardeners.

Girl Scouts learn about gardening and horticulture at Steinhardt Garden to earn their gardening badge

There is plenty in store for the rest of the season, including opportunities to buy plants from nurseries such as Broken Arrow in Hamden, CT; Adams Fairacre Farms, in Poughkeepsie, NY; and Pondside Nursery in Hudson, NY. Read more about plant sales around the country.