Friday & Saturday, May 2nd & 3rd 2008
Together we can make a difference in the preservation and maintenance of one of Tallahassee’s historical and cultural gems. Your support helps us build a strong community constituency for this unique resource and raise funds for restoration, preservation and capital projects, such as a new Visitor’s Center.
What is the Tour of Gardens?
The Tour of Gardens is an annual fundraising event that benefits the Friends of Maclay Gardens, Inc. in their mission to support and promote Maclay Gardens. The event will take place over two days starting with a horticultural speaker on Friday afternoon followed by book signing. It continues on Saturday morning with a continental breakfast at Maclay Gardens where participants can enjoy a silent auction and receive their programs and maps to start the tour of some of Tallahassee’s finest gardens at their own pace.
The Friends of Maclay Gardens, Inc. Mission Statement
The purpose of this organization is to enhance, preserve, and promote the physical, cultural, and horticultural aspects of Maclay Gardens, and to provide educational and personal renewal opportunities for all.
2008 Tour of Gardens
The Friends of Maclay Gardens are planning another special Tour of Gardens to celebrate spring 2008. This year the event will be split into two days. Friday, May 2 will feature a speaker who specializes in southern gardening and Saturday, May 3 will start with a continental breakfast and silent auction at Maclay Gardens followed by the tour of some of Tallahassee’s finest private gardens.
Norman Winter, Mississippi State University Extension Service horticulturist, will give a slide presentation about hardy plants and the latest on new plants for the southern garden. His recent book is entitled “Tough-As-Nails Flowers for the South.” This new book and several others will be offered for sale at his talk which will start at 2:00 pm on Friday at the Timberlane Church of Christ on Timberlane School Road. For twenty years Mr. Winter has been writing a column called “Southern Gardening” where he gives advice on a large variety of gardening topics, such as native plants, butterfly gardens, container gardens and many more. His timely information can also be heard on the radio Monday through Friday and on his television show of the same name over many stations in Mississippi.
The actual Tour will begin at Maclay Gardens State Park on Saturday at 9:00 am with coffee, juice, muffins and pastries as well as a silent auction with numerous gardening and gift items to excite all tastes. Plants from the Maclay greenhouse and gardens will also be on sale. Tour participants will then pick up the program with directions and set off on a self-paced tour of the private gardens which will be open for viewing from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Master gardeners will be available at each site to answer questions.
The gardens selected this year offer a wide variety of styles. They include a small but peaceful yoga garden and a garden that shows creative ways to deal with drainage problems. Another is a two-level garden with a curving brick wall feature and one has no lawn at all but lots of low maintenance plantings. An in-town business with a new garden installation and a local commercial grower round out the excellent choices for this year’s tour ticketholders.
Tickets may be purchased separately for each day at $25 or both for $40. They can be obtained at Maclay Gardens ranger station, Espositos Garden Center, Tallahassee Nurseries, and Native Nurseries. For more information, call Maclay Gardens at 487-4556 or Betsy Kellenberger at 893-2951.
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