Visiting Gardens Committee Report

Survey Results: Half day trips are preferred, with full day trips a close second. Slightly more members can come during the week than on a weekend. Everyone would like to visit the gardens of other members. Trips to private gardens were of interest to everyone, but there is significant interest in public gardens with tour guides, gardens in towns/cities, nurseries, farms and horticultural instruction. Historic topped the types of gardens preferred, followed closely by botanical, gardens with sculpture or exceptional architecture and formal gardens. However, interest was shown in all types of gardens.

Our plans:

(1) Visiting Gardens Groupmaker. To serve the wide range of interests among club members, we will alert members, in the newsletter or by e-mail, to special opportunities to visit gardens in Connecticut or close to its borders. Those interested will e-mail or call the Committee chair, Mikey Hirschoff, who will then give a list of all interested members to each of them. The interested members will then make their own arrangements to go as a group. (See sidebar – Visiting Gardens Groupmaker)

(2) Full day trip to an extraordinary private garden for a group of about 15-20 in Spring or Summer.

(3) Local private garden days. Visits on selected days at different times of the year to member and non-member gardens in different geographical areas of the greater New Haven area.

(4) Gardens in Progress visits. We will develop a program to visit gardens in progress, where experienced member gardeners can offer constructive advice to the garden owner and others in attendance.

(5) Public and Private Garden Tour for Visitors to Greater New Haven. We are developing a list of public and private gardens to be included in tours offered to GCA members from other clubs who visit our area.

REMINDER: CALL THE CHAIR IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TO ANOTHER CITY AND WANT A GARDEN TOUR. With no less than 4 weeks notice, the chair can help arrange a garden tour at your destination.