ANDY BRAND of Broken Arrow Nursery and I will do two half-day sessions of what we call “Open Day-Plus,” an alternative to my big self-guided tour events in the garden in Copake Falls, New York that I do multiple times a year with the Garden Conservancy. I wish I could walk every visitor around personally at those—and answer every question. But that’s impossible.

Many visitors have asked me to take it to the next level. Now Broken Arrow Nursery—they always do plant sales at my big Open Days—and I are offering smaller, ticketed, workshop-style events and sales on September 17, lasting a half-day each, with lots of individual attention. Our spring version sold out fast; space is very limited. Ticket includes $25 Broken Arrow shopping credit at the plant sale.

Tour with me, Margaret, focusing on how I made a garden for the birds (60-plus species visit yearly); my maybe-too-crazy obsession with gold foliage; my passion for great groundcovers; the pollinator- and bird-enhancing “meadow” I’ve cultivated by observing carefully and mowing differently; and most of all, my intimate relationship with the place that goes way beyond aesthetics.

Andy will help us learn to discover the not-so-obvious details in the garden—not just plants!—and he’s also got an eye for improved versions of great natives for gardens, and we’ll learn some standouts and their features, use, and tips for successful culture….and more. He’s an expert birder, and founder of the Connecticut state butterfly association, so we’ll learn more together about how to up the ecological quotient in our gardens, beautifully.

more from, and about, andy brand

• notable natives, from mountain laurel to milkweed
• why natives? butterflies are just one reason