I KNOW, CRAZY, RIGHT? In the middle of the Summer From Hell, I’m opening the garden for visitors on August 18, part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days scheme and also to celebrate Copake Falls Day (my New York State town’s annual fete). The garden and I are a tad in need of reinforcements, so we’ve called in Ken Druse, award-winning author of 18 garden books, to give a morning lecture on plant combinations, and Adam Wheeler of Broken Arrow Nursery, to hold a daylong plant sale of irresistible and rare goodies that are ideal for fall planting. The details:

GARDEN VISITING: Entry to the garden from 10 AM to 4 PM, as for all Garden Conservancy Open Days, will be a suggested $5 donation per adult, with all proceeds to be split by the Conservancy and Friends of Taconic State Park, a local charity. No reservations required for garden visiting.

KEN DRUSE LECTURE: Ken Druse‘s 11 AM talk on creating exciting plant combinations will be held at the Church of St. John in the Wilderness, Copake Falls, about 2 minutes’ drive from my garden. Reservations suggested as space is limited; learn more and buy a $20 ticket, to benefit Friends of Taconic State Park.

SHOP FOR PLANTS: Broken Arrow‘s plant sale will take place in my driveway from 10 AM to 4 PM. Want to know more about them? Read my recent Q&A about exceptional plants with Adam Wheeler of Broken Arrow of Hamden, Connecticut.

COPAKE FALLS DAY SCHEDULE: The Copake Falls Day program includes other local gardens, visits to my neighbors’ dairy farm, flyfishing and blacksmithing demonstrations, kids’ activities and a beef BBQ, among many other things. All the details.

DIRECTIONS, AND OTHER GARDENS: The Garden Conservancy Open Days website has all the particulars, including information about other wonderful gardens that are open nearby that day.

Do join us–don’t let this be the way I feel afterward about the day: