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 This year’s Garden Walk theme is “Hidden Treasures - Gems in
the Garden” and will feature tours of 10 private gardens. Hours
are 1-8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday. The Garden
Walk will be held rain or shine.
Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 the weekend of the event and $7
for anyone under 18. Tickets may be purchased in advance at
Schnuck’s Supermarkets in Normal and Bloomington, the Garlic
Press, Casey’s Garden Shop, Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses and the
David Davis Mansion Visitor Center.
Advance tickets may also be purchased online at
www.daviddavismansion.org (discount applies) or at the
Davis Mansion (full price) the weekend of the event.
The walk is a fundraiser for the David Davis Mansion Foundation,
which provides private support for the state-operated historic
site. Over the past 18 years, more than 18,000 visitors have
toured Bloomington-Normal’s most beautiful gardens, generating
over $222,000 for the non-profit foundation.
As this year’s theme suggests, Garden Walk guests are encouraged
to look for “hidden gems” – unique items displayed among the
flowers and foliage in each garden. Highlights will include
space-saving “square-foot” vegetable gardens, a mini beach area,
water features, a custom watering system and fanciful yard art.
The event also includes a gardeners’ marketplace on the mansion
lawn, complimentary tea and desserts, and tours of the historic
site’s Sarah’s Garden with University of Illinois Extension
Master Gardeners. Guided tours of the Davis Mansion will also be
offered.
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The garden walk begins at the David Davis Mansion, 1000 Monroe Drive,
Bloomington. Easy ticket and map pick-up, with drive-through service and free
parking on the Mansion grounds, is available during the entire event weekend.
For more information, call (309) 828-1084.
Proceeds from this year's event will support restoration of the historic Sarah’s
Garden, a long-term project that involves research and the reintroduction of
difficult-to-find heirloom plants and seeds. Proceeds will also be used to
develop new science-based school field trip programs utilizing the garden.
The David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency, was built in 1872 for Supreme Court Justice David
Davis and his wife, Sarah. The site is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. for free public tours.
[Jeannie Riordan, Illinois Historic
Preservation AGency]
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