The annual Mineral Point Garden Tour, sponsored by Shake Rag Alley will be held on Saturday, June 15, from 9:00 to 5:00.

This year’s event will feature small cottage gardens and larger, public garden spaces throughout the community. Many of the gardens are at a walkable distance from each other so you will be able to admire other wonderful gardens along the way.

The tour includes the home gardens of: Michael and Christine Donovan on Clowney Street, Peter Erbach on Church Street, Mark Runge on Jail Alley, Earlene and Mark Girman at the corner of 5th and Cothern Street, and Sharon Stauffer and Ben Russell on Merry Christmas Lane.

Besides the home gardens, the tour includes some of Mineral Point’s public gardens. Volunteers who care for these gardens will be on hand to answer your questions and point out areas of interest. These include the Don Hawkins Community Oak Savannah, a conservation project in progress near the elementary school; the brand new, state-of-the-art elementary school garden – an example of connecting young people to the art of gardening; Orchard Lawn, the formal gardens at the Historic Gundry House; the new gardens in Library Park on High Street and the gardens at Shake Rag Alley. All of the public gardens are very close to one of the home gardens, so no extra driving or parking will be necessary.

Tickets for the garden tour will be available for $12.00 at Shake Rag Alley on the day of the tour. Throughout the day there will be a perennial plant and yard-art sale at Shake Rag Alley. If you cannot make the garden tour, you’re welcome to come to the sale, which is open to the public at no charge. Come out and see Mineral Point at its best.

– Contributed by the Hays