Save the date for the Summer Solstice Newton Pollinator Garden Tour which will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 in the afternoon from Noon to 4 pm (rain date Saturday, June 28). Our previous two tours in the fall were great successes and we saw a huge interest in folks growing their own native plant pollinator gardens. This year we are moving the tour to June where there will be a different variety of plants in bloom. The tour will be focused on pollinator gardens with mostly native plants with a mix of both public and private gardens.
We are looking for new gardens to add to the tour! So if you have a garden that consists of mostly native plants, we would love to include your garden. The tour is an open-house format where we would list your location and hours of hosting. Ideally you would be present to show tour participants your garden. Before the tour we publish a guide with a map and a brief description of each garden. It would be wonderful if you could supply a brief paragraph describing your garden with a list of the native plants you have. Even if yours is a relatively new garden, folks may be interested in your story. A photo of the garden (even from a past year or season) would be a nice addition. If you are interested or would like to discuss, please email Ted Kuklinski at tkuklinski@aol.com.
Preregistration for the tour is requested below and maps of the gardens and plant lists will be supplied to registrants ahead of time by email. With the email supplied map you can visit the gardens at your own pace. Most of the gardens on the tour will have gardeners to answer any questions you may have.
Why pollinator gardens? Gardens with native plants can be both beautiful and functional at sustaining our pollinators. Our environment is at risk because of precipitous declines in native plants and the insects, birds, and other animals that depend on those plants. Check out the Newton Pollinator Toolkit to find out recommended plants for different conditions in Newton! If you are inspired by the tour, you will be able to buy many of your favorite native plants through a Native Plant Pop-up Sale at the Cold Spring Park Farmers Market, Tuesday, June 17, 1:30 – 6:30, from a number of responsible native plant vendors.
The tour is being organized by the Newton Community Pollinator Project in conjunction with a number of other local organizations. If you are interested in having your garden included in the tour this year or in the future, please note it in the registration.
