(WOODSTOCK, Ill. – ) Pack a snack and roll down the windows as you tour of some of the prettiest gardens in McHenry County. The University of Illinois Extension McHenry County Master Gardeners and McHenry County College will host their annual Garden Walk on Saturday, July 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Garden Walk will showcase nine beautiful gardens—seven private gardens and two volunteer-tended teaching gardens. The tour starts at the McHenry County College Demonstration Garden and meanders through the southeast portion of county. The online early bird cost is $12 per person (through July 1); otherwise, the cost is $17 at the door on the day of the event. Proceeds help support the educational mission of MCC and the McHenry County Extension.
“Amid the pandemic and all we have gone through in the last year, we are immensely pleased to be hosting Garden Walk this year,” said Brenda Dahlfors, program coordinator for the U of I Extension McHenry County Master Gardeners. “We will follow the University’s and MCC’s protocols for social distancing and masks, but we are confident this outdoor event will be successful and just a lot of fun.”
At each of the seven residential gardens, hosts will have labeled their plants and will be on hand to answer questions and share their secrets to success. In addition, Extension Master Gardeners will answer gardening questions and offer educational materials. Several door prizes will be awarded to lucky participants after the tour.
The Demonstration Garden at MCC is tended by Extension Master Gardener volunteers and includes a vine garden, shade garden, theme gardens, and extensive displays of perennials and annuals that grow well in our area. The tour will also highlight the Hoffman Park garden in Cary, also tended by EMGs, which features demonstration gardens, community plots, and educational materials.
Buy advance tickets for $12 by calling 815-455-8588 or online at mchenry.edu/gardenwalk (through July 1). No ticket sales are available from July 2 through July 9. Or you can purchase your tickets on the day of the walk at the Extension Master Gardeners' Demonstration Garden at MCC for $17. All tickets are to be picked up the day of the event at the Demonstration Garden, just off parking lot C — no tickets will be mailed. Your ticket is required to enter each garden.
For information, call 815-479-7570, visit mchenry.edu/gardenwalk or email conferencecenter@mchenry.edu.
SOURCE: Brenda Dahlfors, University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Program Coordinator in McHenry County
WRITER: Michelle Walsh, Office Support Associate, University of Illinois Extension in McHenry County
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