The 24th is still fine with me

I can't do the 24th, but the 23rd is still fine.

Deb

I could do either 23 or 24, doesn't matter for me.

I can do the 23rd, but have late evening plans for the 22nd, so will not be available until mid-day at the earliest on the 23rd.

Carp....

I've just come on to this forum, quite new to CT, and I'm going to be out of the country on the dates you're discussing. I'll have to watch for the next opportunity. Any thoughts of a fall tour? Do you all do this often? :-)

Vtskier - where in Wethersfield are you?

I am so sorry, but my work schedule has changed and I will not be available to share my garden that weekend. But, if a fall weekend does materialize, I'll try to be home.

Donna

The 24th is still fine with me.

Moleman, I'm off Ridge Road towards the Hartford end.

Sue

I'm traveling in early June, and won't be back until 6/15 or so, at which time I'll probably be overwhelmed with commitments, but if I can join the tour I'd really like to.

So please put me down as a definite maybe, but with an enthusiastic thank you to those who are offering to open their gardens to us.

Just to confirm, the 24th doesn't work for me any longer. Have to go to WORK, darn-it.

Donna

Nutmeg Tour June 24 2007
Monique  Wallingford Ct - I'd prefer Sunday the 24th,
debl - Wallingford Ct available on the 23rd not the 24th
Vtskier  Wethersfield Ct - 24 ok with me but later is better.
Ego45 - Westport Ct

Now that we are a few short three weeks away from this fabulous Ct garden tour I would like to ask all members of the New England Forum new or old if they would please post if they are able to schedule a visit to these amazing Ct gardens. Please include in your post whether this will be a day trip for you or if you plan on staying in the area. kt

I am def. going all day, but would love to spend a night if someone or others were. I just don't want to spend an evening by myself, not cause I'm nervous, but that's just not much fun! Also for the drive down, it would be great to share driving, if I could meet or catch up with someone along the way.

As for staying overnight, I suppose we're talking about the eveing of the 24th, right?

Thanks katie, for picking up on this thread.

Marie

FYI,
Oliver (Fairfield, CT) will have its famous once a year sale on a weekend of June 23-24, so maybe it will make sense to include it as a one more stop on a list?
Usualy they do (NOT AN ADVERTISMENT!)
-Perennials -50% off across the board,
-Shrubs + trees -25% or 30% off across the board,
-Many specials at 50 to 80% off.

P.S. Today was just a perennial (25% off) and clematis (50% off) sale.
Now I'm a proud owner of two texensis clematises, Duchess of Albany and Princess Diana at $12.50/each :-))
See you!!!

I'm very sorry I won't be around to take part in the tour... I do hope that everyone enjoys it.

My absence has its compensations, though - I'm heading off to my native England, and I'm planning to introduce my wife to the RHS gardens at Wisley. Sadly, they probably won't let me bring back any plants, but I'll plan to take lots of photos to share when I return!

Bleh! I just lost a long note I wrote to y'all. here goes again:
Deb's garden is open Saturday, june 23. Deb, could you give us some parameters for times? Who of us is planning to go to her garden on the 23rd.

Vtskier, monique, ego's gardens are open Sunday the 24.
I think here native nutmegs could help in planning the itinerary: i.e: maybe starting at 10, ending at 3.We need to factor in lunch, so proximity to a decent, quick lunch place (as yet undermined) either close to or in the middle of site one and site two
I would suggest saving Oliver's till last so plants have to spend less time in a car, and so those of us who want to leave or just glance around can get headed home. I imagined that happening after the gardens, after three. If however, Oliver's stays open later than 5, we may have more flexibility in how long we stay at the gardens.

I believe we should allow ample time in gardens for meditating on a beautiful arrangement, unrushed coversations between us, questions, answers, sharing favorite gardening books, etc.

Lunch could be an event, but I'll express my preference here. I'd like not to spend time in a restaurant. Bring a sandwich, or perhaps earlier in the day we could order sandwiches from one place (suggested by a nutmeg)and eat in the next garden. Note to self: bring enough cash so I can pay as I go and not deal with debit cards

Finally who is staying over Saturday to Sunday? That is separate planning process that does not need to involve the day trippers and hosts. Do we to play and eat as a loose knit group? Do some not want to be tied down by dinner together or possibly staying in the same overnight?

All grist for the mill. Please don't take the above as directives! I know others will have ideas, questions, preferences.

Marie

Due to logistics, my garden + Oliver's should be scheduled as either first or the last stops of the day.
According to Mapquest, it takes about 50 min to get to Wallingford and 1hr 20min to Wethersfield from my place.
This should help you in a planning.
One more thing to consider, by the end of 24th probably not much will be left on Oliver's perennial benches, though shrubs/trees dept should still have decent selections.

what time does oliver's open, George? It seems to me we should work first around the garden hosts' schedules, if they have preferences.

Because it is summer solstice, the day will be long (it is not going to rain), so we could linger in the last garden, and not be rushing off to explore slim pickins.

Thanks for mapquesting for us.
idabean

For the early birds among you, I was thinking 8 to 3 on the 23rd.

Deb in Wallingford

Deb, I plan to visit your garden on the 23rd.

I'm flexible for Sunday the 24th. Just some thoughts...George's garden and Oliver's first thing Sunday may make the most sense to those of you who are going home Sunday night just because of the travel time back to Mass and traffic. My house is only 45 minutes from the Mass Pike exit in Sturbridge. Monique is on the way to me from George. Maybe lunch can be somewhere in between. I plan to have food and beverages at my house for everyone. If it's late afternoon we can do wine and cheese or something along those lines. If it's first thing then maybe coffee and bagels. Whatever works for the group.

My garden is a little behind still due to my recent surgery but I'm slowly getting caught up and hope to be in better shape in two weeks.

Sue

Thinking out loud.
On a sale days Oliver usualy opens at 8:45-9:00am (I'll check today). It's in a Fairfield, 3 min drive off exit 20 of I-95 South. If we'll be there at opening, spend an hour or so there, we could be at my house around 10am for the late breakfast or coffee/bagels.
Say we leave my garden around noon-12:30 and be at Monique's place around 1-1:30. Say, one and a half to two hours there and another half an hour for transportation and we could be around 3:15-3:45 at Sue's place, right on time for the lunch. (BTW, Sue, I could have wine+cheeses not only in a late afternoon, but in early afternoon as well, LOL).
Then being closer to home you may better plan your departure time, I think.

I like George's idea of coming up with limited/set times for the gardens instead being open for the same 5 hrs or so at each garden. This is maybe selfish on my part, but I'd like to see George's and Sue's gardens also and enjoy in the wine/cheese/bagels and conversation. I'll have beverages at the very least at my garden since I'll be inbetween the 2 gardens with food. Maybe a light snack also.

idabean wrote:
Because it is summer solstice, the day will be long (it is not going to rain)

I take it you have that direct from the source, Marie? Thanks for leaking the info to us, and I hope He doesn't get mad at you for this. It's really great to have an "insider" on the forum.

I apologize for not being able to committ, I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow and have visitors coming when I return; they haven't given me any dates yet, so I can't make my own plans yet. If they weren't relatives, they would not be friends!

I hope to have a field report and loads of photos from Luxembourg Garden and the botanic garden, le Jardin des Plantes - can't wait to see the maze!.

dtd,
I don't know who you are talking about! "He?" (I can't find the italics for "He")
If religion were not such an invitation to discord, I could add a few more humorous thoughts about pronouns.
And no, no inside line. I cross my fingers and click my heels together three times like everyone else when it comes to weather.
best,
idabean

Sorry, I just couldn't resist ... you sounded mighty certain.

Italics is [em]italics[/em] with pointy instead of square brackets. Someone picked those tags who wasn't much of a linguist; it stands for emphasis, I suppose.

I just found this thread, haven't been on this forum much lately. I'd like to try to make some of the gardens, but can't say for sure as yet.

Too bad my garden is so far away from the others. It's a mess, but I'd open it anyway.
Jo

I can't believe how soon this is coming up I am starting to get really excited. The last time I visited a private garden I got hooked on Japanese Maples which has now become an addiction. Should we set a schedule for the gardens? I'll make up a mock schedule for the gardens tonight and perhaps those who are more informed about size of gardens and distances between could edit. It is not too late for anyone to join in on the fun. kt

I like the schedule mentioned above by George, subject to when Olivers is open:

8:45-9:45 Olivers
10-12 George's garden; coffee/bagels
1-3 Monique's garden; light refreshments
3:30-5:30 Sue's garden; wine/cheese

Monique

I think that I may be able to meet you all. I wish I had a garden worth touring that wasn't in my dreams. ;-)
Deb

Oliver will be open at 9:00 sharp, but it's advisible to be at the gate around 8:45 since on a sale days parking there could be somewhat challengable.
If we will proceed with the above mentioned plan I could provide presize driving directions to Oliver from I-95 for the first time visitors.

Monique, Ego 45, Vtskiers,
Katy and I want to communicate with you offline. Please access my email at mrtulin@rcn.com so we can have your direct email addresses. If you are ok with it, at this point telephone numbers might be helpful and quicker!

Marie

Saypoint:
It is certainly not too late for you or anyone else to jump in. Our numbers are not so high that we are worrying about trampling our hosts'gardens.
Join us!
idabean

Correction.
Oliver will be open from 8am till 5pm on Saturday, 6/23
and from 10am till 5pm on Sunday, 6/24.

I'd like to try to make it, but there's no way I can be gone all day with my pack of dogs to tend to. I'd have to do either Oliver and George, or Monique and Sue, but not both.

Can someone email me on how to get to Monique's and Sue's? Then I'll have to decide which part I can do.

Here are Dudley, Tess, Georgie, and Oliver (usually Ollie)

{{gwi:1074255}}

Hi Jo,

The directions to my house are in the link below. It's about 45-50 minutes from you. It looks like the original schedule posted above still stands.

Hope to see you!

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Directions

OMG, Sue, I didn't know you were on the Garden Conservancy open days tour!! Congratulations!!
Jo

If anyone is interested in touring any of the gardens on Sunday in CT, please email me thru my GW page and I'll send directions to all 3 places.

Looks like you will have great weather for the tour - have a wonderful time, all. I'll be with you in spirit, although I'll actually be slaving away here with a couple of pallets of bricks. Worse yet, under the "supervision" of my DH, Christo, who loves to boss me around.

Well, when can we expect a report on the tour? I'm dying to hear about the gardens I missed visiting. We got half of out patio laid, and I helped my mom finish planting her annuals; but I was thinking about the CT adventure all weekend.

dtd,
Do you have any idea how strenuous a weekend Katy and I had? Driving to WWF, talking so long we didn't get to the Conservancy open gardens, a long lunch at a micro winery, driving alllllll the way to another part of connecticut over hills, mountains, and by lakes, then going to 5 gardens (it may have been six). And then coming home to my weed infested lot threw me into such a funk, so I had to go back to bed.

And you think you had a hard weekend?!

Seriously, I need a little while to digest it all, and will post on the thread Deb started this morning.

Idabean/Marie