Garden Conservancy’s Open Days begin this weekend
The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program for 2011 begins Sunday, May 1, at Beauty without Boundaries, 1130 Laurel Ave., Winnetka, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission to each private garden is $5. Open Days happen rain or shine, and no reservations are required. Call (888) 842-2442, or visit opendaysprogram.org for more information.
Additional Chicago area Open Days take place on the following dates:
ŸMay 22 in Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Inverness, and West Chicago.
ŸJune 25 in Barrington Hills and North Barrington.
ŸJune 26 in Evanston and Winnetka.
ŸJuly 16 in Bartlett, Campton Hills, Elgin and St. Charles.
ŸJuly 24 in Lake Forest and Mettawa.
ŸJuly 31 in West Chicago.
ŸSept. 10 in Clarendon Hills, La Grange and Oak Brook.
On May 1, the private garden Beauty without Boundaries features:
ŸYew garden rooms that create a different experience and microclimate.
ŸA honey locust allée with tapestry-like plantings of tulips, daffodils, peonies, hosta and astilbe.
ŸAn amphitheater formed by boxwood and crabapple trees.
ŸStrategically placed benches that make the garden distance accessible.
Additional area gardens open in 2011 include 400 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas at the Golab Garden in Inverness; the use of labyrinth geometry and waves of native color at The Garden of Many Circles in Winnetka; a formal knot garden and flowing fountain at Xanadu — The Asselborn Garden in St. Charles; a chapel-like white garden with two reflecting pools at Camp Rosemary in Lake Forest; and 40 tons of rock along with 7,000 gallons of circulating water at the Barnett Garden & Pond in Clarendon Hills.
These Open Days gardens are featured in the 2011 Open Days Directory, a softcover book that includes detailed driving directions and vivid descriptions written by their owners. The directory includes garden listings in 18 states and costs $21.95 including shipping.
Visit opendaysprogram.org or call the Garden Conservancy toll-free at (888) 842-2442 to order or send a check or money order to the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516. Discount admission tickets are available through advanced mail order.