I WISH I COULD walk every visitor around personally at Garden Conservancy Open Days—and answer every question. But that’s impossible when hundreds of guests stream through for the self-guided walkabouts I’ve been hosting for 20-plus years (and will this year again on May 5 and August 18).

Many visitors have asked me to take it to the next level. Now Adam Wheeler of Broken Arrow Nursery—they always do plant sales at my big Open Days—and I offer “Open Day-Plus”: smaller, ticketed, workshop-style events and sales lasting a half-day each, with lots of individual attention. Since Adam is a master propagator, we’ve even added a mini-session on taking cuttings, and how to create an easy home cuttings propagation set-up of your own to this year’s event.

• Space is limited, at each of two sessions per day.
• Ticket includes $25 Broken Arrow shopping credit.

The June program (from 9:30-noon, and repeated from 1:30-4 PM):

• Muffins (or Cookies) and Coffee: Fuel up, get acquainted, and tell us what you want to know more about, so we can fine-tune the program and cover it all.
• Tour/Meet My Garden: Tour with me, Margaret, focusing on how I made a garden for the birds (65-plus species visit yearly); my maybe-too-crazy obsession with gold foliage; choice spring ephemerals and other underplanting essentials; and most of all, my intimate relationship with the place that goes way beyond aesthetics.
• Cuttings, Anyone? Adam is a master propagator, and will point out which plants are easy to multiply from cuttings and also demo how to build a DIY home cutting propagation system.
• Show-and-Tell: “The Best Plants You Never Heard Of:” Adam will “teach” the story of the unique plants in prime display at event time, and will also bring an irresistible show-and-tell of what he calls, “a blend of drool-worthy herbaceous and woody material with a focus on the unjustly rare.” Learn their features, use, and tips for successful culture. Why aren’t more people growing these incredible plants?, Adam asks…and watch out: Soon you will be!
• Plant-Talk: We’ll spend the last chunk of our time together just talking, guided by your questions.
• Shopping: Shop for plants from 11:45-1 and 3:30-4:45. Tip: Browse the Broken Arrow website (or call 203-288-1026 for advice on landscape-size plants in stock at the in-person retail nursery) to have a custom order of larger specimens or multiples of something or just specific plants delivered on event day to take home.

$90 ticket price includes tour, workshop, Q&A session, plus refreshments…and a $25 credit at Broken Arrow plant sale.

Note: All registrants will be emailed directions to the starting location, next door to Margaret’s garden in Copake Falls NY.

Order a ticket using the Eventbrite “widget” below, or at this link.

Prefer a regular Open Day? See you May 5 or August 18. Broken Arrow sales then, too.