Willow, Coyote Garden Tours this weekend

The 26^th annual Willow Garden Tour will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 16.

Everyone is invited to jtour the gardens, eat lunch at a lakeside garden, and participate in drawings for door prizes. Coyote Garden is one of the featured stops on the tour.

Tour participants should meet at the Willow Community Center, Mile 69.8 of the Parks Highway, at 9:30 a.m. Maps will be distributed listing the gardens to be visited. Those going on the tour are asked to bring a brown bag lunch to eat at Dorothea Taylor and George Murphy’s lakeside garden. Tickets will be given to all who attend for door prize drawings during lunchtime.

For more information about the Willow Garden tour call 495-2080.

The 19^th Annual Coyote Garden Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 16 and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 17.

Les Brake’s garden has been featured in numerous magazines, including Horticulture, Gardens Illustrated, Country Gardens, Sunset, and New Zealand Gardener. Les and his garden were recently profiled in Plant Driven Design, the latest book from Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden. HGTV featured the garden in two series; and two segments for the PBS show ‘Smart Gardening’ were filmed there. Brake’s ice arrangements have gained some notoriety, too. In addition to appearing in several magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, garden writer Suzy Bales gave them a six-page spread in her book, The Garden in Winter.

Suggested donation is $7. All proceeds from donations at Coyote Garden Tour go to help support the Georgeson Botanical Garden on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and the Willow Garden Club.

Georgeson Botanical Gardens is Alaska’s oldest botanical garden and has fallen victim to severe cutbacks in funding this past year. The garden, which has a long history, has been part of the Agriculture Experimental Station research farm since 1906. It was turned into a formal botanical garden in 1989.

GBG’s mission is research of all things horticultural for Subarctic Alaska.

To get to Coyote Garden at Mile 71 of the Parks Highway turn onto Willow-Fishhook Road. Drive 7.5 miles up Willow-Fishhook Road. Signs will be posted. For more about the Coyote Garden tour call 495-6525.