Yes, yesterday was truly incredible. It blew my mind. I mean I knew I would be taken with all the roses and the very cool environment but the amazing beauty simply knocked my socks off. Everywhere you turned literally were beautiful old graves draped in breaktaking roses, iris, california poppy and many, many other types of thriving flora. I took a zillion photos and will share those as soon as I get them up into my Photobucket account. I thought the sale was handled very well. Although everyone was hot for the roses they wanted it was very polite and courteous gentle nudging and leaning in that was never mean or rude. People were focused but not nasty about getting the roses they wanted. I doubt anyone left without at least one rose. I am so totally out of room I bought a good sized International Herald Tribune that I may keep or give to a friend. I wanted Coulterville Red but they went fast. But there is always next year. My only regret was that I did not meet anyone from GW. I recognized Jeri and Clay but every time I tried to go speak to Jeri there were two people ahead of me waiting for her attention:) It was just an intense kind of day that way. I think we need a GW section for future sales:) I have one suggestion for the very impressive folks who pull this event together and keep the Cemetery shining. Can we talk about all the wonderful Iris growing around the grounds? Can those be included in the sale next year? The lady who was there thinning the iris yesterday kindly gave myself and a couple of other ladies each one as they were going to be composted evidently anyway. That nearly started a stamped. One person even accused me of yanking it out of the ground so I could have one! I think the Open Garden Sale could easily become a roses/iris event. Thank you for all the hard work in making the cemetery so outstanding in every way and the Open Garden Sale such fun. For anyone who wishes to go be sure and give yourselves LOTS of time. I only had the morning to be there yesterday and that was a mistake. You need the whole day. Kate

Christie , thank you for that link. We were probably pretty close there a few weeks ago when we went to DH's brother-in-law's funeral. I didn't know it was there. It sounds like it will eventually compare with the one in St Louis. I saw it a few years ago, and was very impressed.

Been there at the Garden Center and every time I have been there, there's NEVER ENOUGH CASHIERS!!!! THe folks at Lowe's don'thave as much information like the folks in Home Depot if you hvae questions about a plant. The Home Depot in Syosset doesn't have much of a section of anything but the one in Hempstead Trnpk by the race track has a great selection!! HICKS by Jericho Turnpkie is an awesome place. The folks there are very filled w/ info.

Thank you everyone for your input. I will share some of my experiences. When I moved into my home 5 years ago and first got into gardening, I heard about this main garden tour that is run here through the local newspaper, free to the public, anyone can be listed in it - you just write your description and indicate the times and days you are open within the allocated time period. I thought, why not? The good. It was probably one of the most nerve-wracking thing I have ever done, but everyone was so genuinely appreciative as soon as they stepped in the gate, and expressed it. People were astounded at how many gardens in the afore thought 'lower city' were actual gems. I met some truly interesting people along the way, and some became close friends or people I would see regularly during the year throughout the city (one worked at Lowes, and I would make a point of chatting with him whenever I went there). And many people would come up to me out of the blue and tell me they had been to my garden. There was also a woman who responded to my description (I didn't write a straight forward description; it was very artistic). She was the only person who asked me directly what it meant, and then we had a very intimate discussion where we both shared some of the pains and losses we had gone through - it was amazing to connect on that level. The bad. One of the visitors to my garden was a young couple who were quite smitten by these large flexi-glass cones I had placed in my garden, which I had gotten from my former workplace. They went on and on about them, and literally insisted I sell them two, they wouldn't leave unless I did. This was when there were already a large number of people coming, going and asking me other questions, and I was on my own, felt a bit overwhelmed. I more or less said why don't you just take them now, and you could come back another day and give me some money for them. Oh yeah, they were giddy, they would definitely do that they said, I could trust them...never saw them again. Honestly, I had more than enough of those cones and they weren't a cost to me; it was the principle above all else. It was disappointing to come up against low brows when everyone else was so respectful. The ugly. Sadly, I found from the get-go the organization of the event to be a mess, with no support for you as a person who is volunteering your garden. When I first did it, I had absolutely no idea what i was doing - so I asked a few questions via email to the person coordinating it. No response. After a few emails, I phoned and left a few messages. No response. Ended up winging it as best I could. Found out later that I was not unique in this; many people experienced the same thing. Even the regulars would be trying to get answers to questions - like what the dates might be for the year so they can plan around it - no response. Some people were sympathetic, because "it's just that one person coordinating". And I appreciate the difficulties of organization, I have lived and worked it! But I found out that over the years, people were very interested in helping out, but the person coordinating - no response. So I'm calling BS on that. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, but you get the picture.