Free tours of Blacksburg sustainable gardens featuring native plants, wildlife-friendly plantings,
edible landscaping, and beauty will be hosted by the Sustainable Blacksburg nonprofit
community organization on fourth Sunday afternoons through September.
Light refreshments will be served at these drop-in tours.
All tours will be in Blacksburg. Visitors are welcome to drop in anytime during the tour
time frame. Tours are rain or shine, but will be halted in the event of thunder or lightning.
The schedule of the tours is as follows:
- July 24, 6 to 8 p.m. Arlean Lambert’s garden and Hale Community Garden at 215
Maywood St. highlight edible landscaping and vegetable gardening. Lambert enjoys figs,
strawberries, kiwis, nuts, greens, and other edibles — including edible flowers — at her north
Blacksburg home.
- Aug. 28, 2 to 5 p.m. Shadowlake Village on Shadowlake Road highlights its new native
plant nursery, funded through a grant from Sustainable Blacksburg,and its ambitious invasive
species removal program across its 33-acre co-housing community.
- Sept. 25, 3 to 5 p.m. Barbara Griffiths, 2300 Capistrano St., enjoys tucking attractive edibles, such as berries, herbs, fernlike asparagus, and edible flowers into her flower beds. Radford University’s former catering manager, Griffiths can create a five-course meal, including wines, from the offerings of her yard.
The two residential gardens featured Sunday, June 26 will showcase a mix of native and non-native plants that nurture local birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
The Glaser garden at 901 Mason Drive is a habitat garden with abundant flowers and remarkable
shrubbery that mimics the natural landscape. Pet owners will love the “catio,” where furry family
members can enjoy the outdoors without threatening wildlife.
Rebekah Paulson’s garden at 913 Kentwood Drive in Fiddler’s Green is certified as a Monarch
waystation and a National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitat. She has planted nearly 20
species of trees and shrubs and 55 native perennials on the 0.2-acre lot.
