Lillies and hosta are among the plants growing at Austin Chadima’s home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Chadima, a friend of the Linn County Master Gardeners, will have one of the gardens on the 2019 Garden Walk. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Both the Linn County Master Gardeners and Project GREEN have garden walks scheduled for July, with significant changes this time.
The 2019 Linn County Garden Walk, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 13, will be free this year.
Not only will there be no charge for admission, but tour-takers who visit all six gardens can enter to win a lovely garden bench.
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The diverse urban properties, all in the Cedar Rapids area, include perennials, annuals, container arrangements, raised beds, ornamental grasses, whimsical garden art and more. Master Gardeners will be at all of the gardens to answer horticulture-related questions.
Find a list of the gardens and more information here.
Flowering dogwood and purple beech can be seen at the Ashton House in Iowa City, one of the stops on Project GREEN’s new Open Gardens Weekend in 2019. (photo/Project GREEN)
Project GREEN has its walk scheduled for the same weekend, Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14 — both 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — and will also have free admission.
The group’s Open Gardens Weekend has a unique “business” model.
Any resident within the city limits of Iowa City can open his or her garden for the event (by the May 15 deadline.) Gardeners will display a sign during that weekend and will be listed on the Open Gardens map.
No tickets are required for the public to attend. Money for Project GREEN and for the event is raised through local business sponsorship, as well as individual donations.
The Open Gardens map will list descriptions and locations of the gardens and will be available before the event at sponsoring business retail locations, for free, or mailed to individuals in return for an individual donation to Project GREEN.
Maps also will be available to pick up for free on the days of the event at sponsoring business locations and at Ashton House in Iowa City.
Organizers hope to have more than 40 gardens on the walk, from tiny plant-filled patios
to impressive landscapes, with some never opened to the public before.
Find more information on Project GREEN’s website.
Learn about other stunning Iowa gardens:
Wanda Lunn grows new and old in harmony
Daylily gardens in Central City
Rustic acres in southeastern Iowa
Inner-city haven in Cedar Rapids
Solon acreage transformed into nature-friendly habitat
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