Get ready for a full agenda!

Garden and Floral Design Related Activities on Nantucket This Week

First on the list is the Nantucket Garden Festival.  This is the event of the summer for fans of beautiful landscape design; horticultural magnificence; and expert floral design instruction. The Festival will begin tomorrow, July 17, 2018, at 9:00 AM. With three days of thoughtfully planned events, the Festival benefits  Nantucket Lighthouse School, a small independent school focused on educating the whole child--"head, heart and hand"--through classroom learning supplemented with experiential learning that takes place not only in school, but also through programs involving the greater Nantucket community. Please take a look at the school's website to see the wonderful programming that it offers and to read more about the holistic approach to education that informs the school's curriculum across the board.

So...what's on the schedule for this, the tenth annual Garden Festival?

Attendees may choose from among several offerings on any of the three days. Russell Morash kicks things off on July 17th with his Victory Garden Talk and Tour (9:00-11:00; tickets $100 on the website). For those unfamiliar with Russell, I'm sure you've heard of "This Old House", "The New Yankee Workshop" and "The Victory Garden", three of the DIY television shows that he created and produced for PBS. My personal favorite was (is still!) "This Old House". To enjoy a talk and tour with Russell Morash would, I think, be an excellent way to get this wonderful festival started! If you miss that tour or would prefer to start your day with cut flowers, look into attending the floral design workshop (10:00-12:00; tickets $350 on the website) with Megan Soverino, a Nantucket resident and floral designer extraordinaire. Later in the day, look into enjoying a walking garden tour and talk (or two!) in Sconset. On Wednesday, July 18th, there are two Lincoln Circle walking garden tours and talks in the morning. There is also a second floral design workshop (half or whole day) with Jennie Love, of Love n Fresh Flowers. Jenny is a grower with an urban farm in PA. She is interested in sustainable gardening and teaches master classes in addition to running her well known wedding floral design business. If you have time for nothing else on Wednesday, I hope that you will try to attend the keynote workshop (1:00-3:00PM) with Thomas Rainer. Thomas is a renowned landscape architect from Arlington, VA, and he will be discussing the importance of plant selection and composition in creating a resilient landscape design.

But that's not all!!

In addition to these fantastic educational opportunities for the adults, there are also two separate mother and child events (**these appear to have been filled as of this afternoon, so please call before telling your little one about them!); and then, on Wednesday evening, be sure to make time to attend the Garden Soirée (6:00-9:00PM). On Thursday, July 19th, the Festival concludes at the Nantucket Culinary Center with a luncheon and talk ("The Intimate Garden") with the amazing Gordon Hayward. Please check the Festival website’s archives for a bio (updated as the Festival’s site has been updated and an active link to Gordon’s bio no longer exists where it did at the time of the publication of this post) about Gordon and the topics he'll be covering in his talk. (Also, please note that the morning van tour of Monomoy, Polpis and Squam and the Mommy and Me Tea are sold out. If still interested, please call the Festival office in the event that space opens up at the last minute). Finally,  here  is the schedule of events set forth in an easy to read format directly from the Festival's website. Registration and payment information can be found on the website.  Here's hoping for a gorgeous three days!!

And after the Garden Festival, get ready for the NGC’s Gallery Walk!

Once the festivities of the Nantucket Garden Festival have ended, the Nantucket Garden Club will pick things up with an event that is sure to delight anyone who loves flowers and/or art. Nantucket Garden Club's "Art With Blooms--a Festival of Flowers" gallery walk, which is free and open to the public, will take place on July 20 (5:00PM-8:00PM) and July 21 (10:00AM-4:30PM). However, please check the NGC website, as the times are subject to change. Also, the galleries to be included in the walk are still to be announced. Much like other garden clubs' "Art in Bloom" programs, this program will feature beautiful floral interpretations of selected works within each gallery. It should be a great end to a fabulous week in flowers! Next up for flower lovers is the NGC's August 8 House and Garden Tour in Sconset....I hope to post about that tour after it occurs.  So stay tuned!! And be sure to stop and smell (and photograph!) the flowers this week....

xobetsy