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Hastings Library Digs the Return of the Garden Tour

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – As the Hastings Public Library nears its 100th anniversary next year, the Friends of the Library has been looking for unique ways to raise money, including bringing back the Hastings by the Yard garden tour for the first time in a decade.

“One of our ongoing projects that we’ve been following and wanting to do more is maintain and enhancing the parkland that surrounds the library,” said Barbara Morrow, president of the Friends of the Hastings Library. “It’s such a beautiful setting, wonderful views of the river, but no landscape ever lasts without maintenance and tending.”

The local tour is a great way to experience something special without leaving the village, Hastings Library director Sue Feir said.

“People get on planes and they go to Europe and they spend big bucks to go see fancy houses and gardens so here’s an opportunity right in your own community to actually visit and talk to people,” Feir said.  “All of the gardeners are going to be there too.”

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the tour will feature 11 private gardens throughout Hastings.  There will be a shuttle that will bring people to each garden throughout the day on June 9 and June 10 for the tour.

“We’re going into our 100th [year] so we’re trying to think of community events as well fundraising opportunities and since it hasn’t been done in such a long time no one who’s in the town has seen these gardens,” Feir said.

The tour features gardens of a wide variety including formal, informal, woodland, meadow, flower, shrub, vegetable and fruit.  There will be native plant gardens, cottage gardens, kitchen gardens and even a beekeeper’s garden shown as part of the event.  There is also plenty to be learned on the tour as Morrow said each gardener will be available to chat and share some useful advice.

“I think the special part is the variety of gardens, this really has an unusual variety so the backyard gardener who’s struggling to grow tomatoes this would be the perfect tour,” Morrow said.  "Information and inspiration about fragrant climbing roses, plants native to the Northeast, the use of color and texture in the garden are only a few other examples of what these gardeners and their gardens have to offer visitors."

Proceeds from the event will go toward rehabilitating the grounds around the Hastings Library.  Tickets can be purchased at the Hastings Public Library for $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the tour and $10 for ages 12-18.  The tour runs on both June 9 and June 10 from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. each day.  Tickets are valid for both days and each ticket will have a map of the tour on it as well.

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