The Gardener's Trail, Sunday May 16

Follow the Gardener's Trail and tap into a wealth of horticultural expertise at high-quality, locally-owned nurseries and garden centers within Tompkins County. On Sunday  June 16, 2013, ten different nurseries and garden centers will be offering free talks, demonstrations, tours and samples on a wide range of gardening topics. Free activities will be happening at each business between 10 am and 4 pm so you can visit as many as you like that day to pick up gardening tips, resources, ideas and inspiration!

2013 Gardener's Trail Participants

Baker’s Acres, 1104 Auburn Road (Route 34) North Lansing: Hey Dads! Get a free tomato plant with growing instructions! Take in a self guided tour of the demonstration gardens, which will be in full bloom. Baker's Acres also hosts their famous Cornell chicken barbecue every Father's Day so make this your lunch stop! (There is a cost for the BBQ.)

Cayuga Landscape, 2712 North Triphammer Road, Ithaca:  Miniature evergreen plants planted in containers make an interesting change from annuals and they last a lot longer. Learn about different varieties of evergreens for containers and watch demonstrations on container planting.

  Der Rosenmeister, 190 Seven Mile Drive, Ithaca: The rose display gardens will be in full bloom, so take a tour to see many varieties in flower and also the many creative ways of growing climbing and trailing roses. There will be demonstrations on rose care with a seasonal focus: spring pruning, feeding, weed control and mulching.

  Dryden Agway, 59 West Main Street,  Dryden: Visitor's can try samples of Mrs. Wage’s Salsa on chips, washed down with locally-brewed beer  from Bacchus Brewing Company, and pick up  information on growing their own ‘salsa garden’.

  Earlybird Farms, 806 Elmira Road (Route 13 South), Ithaca:  Tropical annuals for gardens are hot, hot, hot!  Earlybird propagates a huge variety of colorful summer annuals and will have talks and demonstrations on the best ones for NYS gardens.

  Indian Creek Farm, 1408 Trumansburg Road (Route 96) Ithaca:  Nursery staff will give demonstrations on planting and staking young fruit trees,and visitors can hop on a wagon ride tour of the vegetable farm and orchard.

  Ithaca Agway, 213 South Fulton Street, Ithaca: The nursery staff will present talks and demonstrations on how to grow and maintain David Austin roses. David Austin's English Roses combine the forms and fragrances of old roses with the repeat-flowering of modern roses. They are very easy to grow, healthy and reliable.

  Magic Garden, Ithaca Farmers Market, Ithaca: Visit the Magic Gardeners at the Ithaca Farmers Market and  learn how to use unusual tropical annuals in container plantings. See demonstration on potting on into containers and try a free cup of Trinidad bush tea! You can find the Magic Gardeners at booth number 88 from 10 am to 3 pm.

  Michaeleen’s, 2826 North Triphammer Road, Ithaca:  Wouldn't you love to pick your own oranges for breakfast? Staff will give presentations on growing citrus fruit trees indoors with a selection of sizes and varieties of citrus fruit trees available for sale. Visitors can also sample free baked goods made with citrus infusions and wash them down with cold lemonade.

  The Plantsmen, 482 Peruville Road, Groton: Watch a demonstration on how to use coir logs. Coir is a natural fiber extracted from the husk of coconut. Coir logs are an ecological way to stabilize edges of ponds and stream banks.

Click the map below  to view locations of participating nurseries and garden centers.

Come to Ithaca for a Gardener's Weekend - June 15 and 16!

Open Days Garden Tours - Saturday June 15, 10 am to 4 pm

The Tompkins County Open Days Garden Tour is taking place on Saturday June 15 from 10 am to 4 pm (one day before the Gardener's Trail).Three fabulous private gardens will be open for one day only! Make a full gardener's weekend out of it by touring the open gardens on Saturday, then follow the Gardener's Trail on Sunday where you will learn tips and techniques to help make your own garden fabulous! Admission is $5.00 per garden.