Later this month we are hosting a spring Open Garden. Spring ground conditions limit our parking capacity, so we are making available several time slots across multiple days through a sign-up app, details below.
Every season has its own beauty expressed in blooms, foliage, and forms. Seeing the garden in different seasons highlights how landscapes are ongoing processes, both in how life unfolds and in how we care for this place. The process has its own beauty.
What to Expect
Unlike the July Open Garden, the grounds are not remotely tidy. Spring cleanup has only begun where we can reach plants from paths (so as not to compact the soil) and leave 10-12” of stems standing. What we cut down is left in place as organic mulch.
Despite the “messiness” inherent in a native plant garden at this time of year, there is an abundance of beauty. Growing degree days (GDD) now (162 on 4.1.2025) matches last year (160 on 4.1.2024) so we can anticipate the following to be blooming at the end of April: bladdernut, bloodroot, coral honeysuckle, golden ragwort, hispid buttercup, Jacob’s ladder, marsh marigold, prairie smoke, shooting star, uvularia, Virginia bluebell, woodland phlox, and wood poppy.
Sign Up!
Please sign up if you’d like to visit. Note: You are signing up for yourself and whoever else will ride in your car. Parking (not number of visitors) is limited. Be sure to dress for the weather. (Some parts of the yard may be soggy.) Insect repellent is advised.
Garden tour schedule:
| Date | Times | Sign-up Here |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 4/26 | 12, 2, 4, and 6pm | 4/26 sign-up |
| Sunday 4/27 | 2, 4 and 6pm | 4/27 sign-up |
| Monday 4/28 | 10, 12, 2, and 4pm | 4/28 sign-up |
| Tuesday 4/29 | 10, 12, 2, and 4pm | 4/29 sign-up |
| Wednesday 4/30 | 12, 2, 4, and 6pm | 4/30 sign-up |
| Thursday 5/1 | 12 and 2pm | 5/1 sign-up |
Photos by Randy Litchfield unless otherwise noted
© Randy Litchfield, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Catchfly Commons 
Thank you for opening your garden once again. Mary