Rochester Pond & Garden Tour

Saturday, July 23, 2011
9 am–5 pm

“This self-guided tour is an opportunity to see privately-owned gardens and speak with civic agencies, accomplished landscape designers, green pros and builders. The tour will also host education on incorporating “green” practices into landscapes, including raingardens, rain barrels and rain harvest systems. Profits will be donated to RNeighbors.”

The event presents a rare opportunity to see privately-owned gardens and speak one-on-one with accomplished landscape designers, green pros and builders. The tour will also host educational activities to teach and inspire neighbors, neighborhoods, and businesses to incorporate “green” practices into their landscapes.

Also on the tour is Cascade Meadow Wetlands and Environmental Science Center, Rochester’s regional resource for environmental education, with an initial focus on energy, water and wetlands.

“This tour is an opportunity to view innovative ways to capture and reuse rain water while enjoying an extraordinary retreat at home,” said Mike Otte of Whitewater Gardens. “It’s about raising consciousness and making a difference one yard at a time. It’s about becoming part of the solution and not turning rain into pollution. Why should we care? Because turning rain water into pollution by forcing it into the sewers and already polluted rivers and finally the ocean’s ‘dead zone’ is a sad state of affairs that we can impact as individual land stewards—and we can do it beautifully!”

“The tour is a great opportunity to visit with some Rochester’s leading landscape companies and to view their work,” said Doug Courneya, RCTC horticulture instructor. “Water features on this tour represent the types of stunning landscape features that can incorporate rainwater recycling.”

Maps are available at www.pondandgardentour.com after July 20. Cost is $10 per person or $25 per family. Wristbands are available at www.pondandgardentour.com and at both Sargent’s locations, Custom Retaining Walls, Family Tree Nursery, and Maier Forest and Tree.

Sponsors include:

A.D. Drumm Images
Christine’s Landscape Design
Custom Retaining Walls
Herring EcoLogistics
KROC
Rochester Community and Technical College
Rochester Women magazine
Sargent’s Gardens
Squadron 7 Web Design
Whitewater Gardens
Family Tree Landscape Nursery Inc.
Maier Forest and Tree

Check It Out!
• Article in Rochester Women’s Magazine July/August 2011 issue (page 41)

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