Master Gardeners to celebrate 50 years with free garden tours

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners will celebrate their 50th anniversary with free community garden tours on Saturday, June 29, in Ottawa, Henry and Toluca.

The daylong celebration will give gardeners of all ages the opportunity for hands-on demonstrations, educational sessions and opportunities to learn from experienced Master Gardeners.

The public is invited to attend any or all portions of the day’s schedule, which includes stops in Marshall and La Salle counties.

“These events not only celebrate our 50-year legacy, but they will also introduce community members to the Master Gardener program and enhance their gardening knowledge with practical tools and skills suitable for all gardening experience levels,” Master Gardener program coordinator Candice Anderson said in a news release.

The day will begin with a garden tour from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Learn Grow Share Garden at Henry United Methodist Church, 225 Lincoln St., Henry.

From there, participants will travel to Toluca for a 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. tour of the Coal Mine Wildflower Meadow and School Garden on East Bennington Street.

The day will wrap up after a lunch break with tours of several community garden sites from 2 to 4 p.m. in Ottawa.

The Ottawa site is based at the Toll House Garden, 221 Columbus St., and includes additional stops at Reddick Mansion, Palate Garden, Butterfly Garden, Plant a Row Garden, the Extension Native Garden and the city’s downtown flower beds.

The event is open to the public and no registration is required. More details are available at Illinois Extension’s website.

Those needing accommodations are encouraged to contact Bettyann Harrison at bettyann@illinois.edu or 309-364-2356 as early as possible.