Private gardens share blooming secrets during annual Garden Walk

The 21st Annual Summer Garden Walk exhibiting five private gardens along with a display garden at the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

“Each year there’s a new set of gardens,” said Judith Granbois, publicity director for the Garden Walk. “I think people who have participated in our garden walk
enjoy other people’s beautiful gardens and how they’ve solved problems in their landscapes, such as a steep slope. They also enjoy seeing different plants and the imaginative use of different plants in the landscape.”

The Bloomington Garden Club is sponsoring the event and has supported the Hilltop Garden since the beginning of the Garden Walk, Granbois said. In addition to financially supporting the center, she said the club also provides funds to other projects, such as the garden at the Ellettsville Branch of Monroe County Public Library.

This year the Hilltop Garden center will present the display garden “Many Happy Returns,” which will feature the use of sustainable and recycled materials. The center will also be the site of a floral arrangement show by members of the Garden Club.

Tickets for the event may be purchased for $10 on the days of the event at Hilltop or $8 in advance from Garden Club members or from vendors listed on www.bloomingtongardenclub.com.

According to a press release, “all proceeds from the Walk benefit children’s gardening programs at Hilltop and other civic projects sponsored by Bloomington Garden Club, including gardens at the Animal Shelter, Monroe County United Ministries and Windfall Dancers.”

— Bailey Loosemore