The Milton Garden Club will present its 21st annual garden tour featuring seven varied private gardens from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 18, rain or shine. However, if inclement weather floods downtown Milton, the tour will be rescheduled for Saturday September 24th.
Four of the gardens are clustered in town within walking distance. The other three are out of town but close to each other.
Highlights of the tour include two very tropical gardens with palms, citrus, banana trees and a variety of exotic tropical plants; a whimsical G-scale railroad garden; a young garden with many features including a large pond; a shady garden with hundreds of hostas, ferns, coral bells, begonias and caladiums; many water features including a multi-tiered fountain; a half-acre garden overflowing with flowering perennials; and much more.
Special events in the gardens include 20 artists painting, a plant sale, baked goods, candles, gardening books and tools, decorative gourds, a weaver, jewelry, birdhouses, stained glass and glass. music by six local musicians.
Sussex Master Gardeners will be available to answer gardening questions, and the Milton Community Pantry will be accepting food and cash donations.
Members of the Milton Garden Club will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets for a draw at Hollyfest on Saturday December 10. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5.
The Club’s 2022 Hope in Bloom initiative includes educational talks and demonstrations at all club fundraising events for the year.
Scheduled times for lectures and demonstrations are as follows: 10:30 a.m., Garden 7 (Zajic), Tips for getting the most out of your garden from the start; 11 am, Garden 2 (Greig), Plants for an autumn garden; 11:30 a.m., Garden 3 (Hunter/Owen), The Screen House; 12 p.m., Garden 6 (Smith), Wintering Tropicals in the Garden; 12:30 p.m., Garden 5 (Seamone), Camellias for small spaces; 1:30 p.m., Garden 4 (The Elder), Halloween at the Garden; 2 p.m., Garden 7 (Zajic), Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Garden by Design (repeat); and 2:30 p.m., Garden 6 (Smith), Overwintering Tropicals (repeat).
Visitors are invited to register at Jardin 4 for a chance to win a Hope in Bloom door prize.
Advance tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Salon Milton, Peppers Greenhouses and Hillside Flowers in Milton, and at Lewes Printing in Lewes. Tickets for the day are $20 and can be purchased at the Milton Garden Club booth outside the Milton Historical Society at 210 Union St., Peppers Greenhouses, and at Garden 6 (Smith) at 207 Heronwood Lane.
The Milton Garden Club thanks tour sponsors 302 Bicycles, Al Frantic Band, Frantic Frets Music & Antiques. Irish Eyes, Lavender Fields, Salon Milton, The Mercantile and Women’s Club of Milton.
As a courtesy to the owners of the garden, the club asks customers to refrain from bringing pets on the visit. For more information or to reserve tickets, call 302-684-3804 or 267-475-4466.