Six private gardens in Bainbridge Island, Indianola and Kingston will participate in the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program later this month.
The Open Day program is Sunday, June 29 and the collection of local gardens will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine, and no reservations are required.
Admission to each garden is $5, or $25 for a ticket booklet to all six gardens; children 12 and under are free. Call 1-888-842-2442, or visit www.opendaysprogram.org for more information.
Visitors may begin the tour at any of the following locations:
• Arcadia, 10450 Secretariat Lane NE, Bainbridge Island; a drought-tolerant collection of plants including more than 250 rhododendrons, numerous varieties of hydrangeas, and woodland paths (open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. only).
• Garden of Carin & Michael Piraino, 10773 Bill Point Crest, Bainbridge Island; inspired by Asian and Northwest design, organically maintained, and a focus on leaf size, shape, texture, and hue.
The Skyler Garden, 9734 Manitou Place, Bainbridge Island; pathways lead to a number of garden rooms featuring water features, hardscape, and shade plantings including more than 100 varieties of ferns.
Sam and Karen Brindley’s Garden, 10305 NE Shore Drive, Indianola; rare and unusual plant varieties inhabit a woodland border, cutting garden, a greenhouse with edibles, tropical garden, and a panorama of Puget Sound with Mediterranean influences.
Garden of Jim and Sharon Moore, 11497 NE Third Street, Kingston; featuring a sunken “ruin,” tropical corridor, a long border, flowering arches, and eclectic architectural elements, and perched on a bluff overlooking the ferry lanes of Puget Sound.
Weissman Garden, Bainbridge Island (directions will be provided at other locations); surrounded by firs and cedars, and including a collection of specimen trees, a border of hydrangeas, a fern and native plants garden, and water features.
The Garden Conservancy introduced the Open Days program in 1995 as a means of introducing the public to gardening, providing easy access to outstanding examples of design and horticultural practice, and proving that exceptional American gardens are still being created.
The Open Days program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program, and is made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers nationwide.
For information, a complete schedule of Open Days, or to suggest gardens for inclusion in the program, visit the Garden Conservancy online at www.gardenconservancy.org.
