In the midst of all that street painting fun recently, there was another unique event taking place called the "'Elmira Blooms' Garden Tour."
Presented by the Near Westside Neighborhood Association, this was the sixth year of the self-guided tour, which features local gardens selected for being "lovingly created, distinct and original."
Garden at 955 West Church St.
So I picked up a ticket ($12, which goes to benefit the Near Westside) and was given a list of addresses that could be visited in any order throughout Sunday afternoon.
Then I hit the road with "Daniel," my trusty GPS. Daniel is the lovely British fella who helps me not get lost. (Except for this one time, in the middle of the New Mexico desert, when he decided that I should drive through some hills on a dastardly looking dirt road with a name like "Rattlesnake Pass." No, thank you.)
Outside every participating location was a sign, table and some kind folks to greet you.
There were also the opportunities to enjoy refreshments and purchase raffle tickets.
A pamphlet was provided, listing the garden owners and the stories behind their creations. The owners were all present during the tour and I listened to many of them chat about their work with and identify different types of flowers for visitors.
I'm not a gardener in any sense of the word (I'm trying not to kill a spider plant in my living room at present), but I definitely appreciated the talent and labors of love displayed in the participating gardens.
Garden at 41 Meadow Lane in Pine City
Hope you enjoy these pictures from the afternoon. You can catch the tour next summer if you didn't get the chance this time around!
955 West Church Street:
213 Columbia Street:
714 Falck Street:
41 Meadow Lane, Pine City:
25 Hickory Lane, Pine City:
83 Greenridge Drive East:
824 Broadway Street (Chamberlain Acres Private Gardens):
Near Westside Neighborhood Association
353 Davis Street, Elmira, NY 14901
(607) 733-4924, http://www.nwnainc.com/,
My favorite - the hydrangeas!
ReplyDeleteVery nice!