By John Chapin
June, the month when gardens in Central Indiana are in full bloom, and garden centers are bursting with colorful flowers, flowering shrubs, and a great selection of trees for homeowners to choose from. The choices can be bewildering and possibly overwhelming, even for experienced gardeners! A great way to get ideas and see a wide variety of plants growing in garden settings is to take a tour of area gardens. Luckily, there are quite a few garden tours scheduled this month in the Greater Indianapolis area.
Closest to home is the annual Plainfield Garden Tour, set for the weekend of June 23 and 24. This is the 10th year for the tour, which is presented by the Friends of the Plainfield-Guilford Township Library, in support of the library’s many programs and activities. A variety of private area gardens are carefully chosen each year for their beauty, to be enjoyed by the public. This year, there are eight properties on the tour, including town, suburban, and country gardens. Gardens are chosen to illustrate different garden designs, interesting features, educational applications, and often unusual plants and flowers.
The homeowners on the garden tour are passionate about their gardens, and while every garden is different, ranging in size from typical city properties to country acres, they all reflect the care and dedication of their owners. Besides providing delightful garden strolls, they serve to educate and inspire the public.
This year’s Plainfield Garden Tour will be held, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 23rd, and Sunday, the 24th, from noon – 4 p.m. The tour is self-guided, the gardens can be visited in any order, and tickets will have driving directions and descriptions of each garden. Homeowners and volunteers will be happy to answer questions and point out special features of the gardens.
Garden tour tickets are now on sale and can be purchased (even on the days of the tour) at the Plainfield Library, “Do It Best” Hardware store in Plainfield, Avon Gardens, and Frazee’s Garden Center. For more information and preview photos of the gardens, visit plainfieldgardentours.com.
Special Note: If you’d like to volunteer to help with tickets at any of the gardens, please call Eric at (317) 697-0679. Also, if you know of any gardens that you think would be great on this tour, let Eric know.
