RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE, 2021!!

Monday-Wednesday June 22-24, 2020

Visits to one of the top-rated botanical gardens in the country, three nurseries, two public gardens, and a vineyard tour with tasting are some highlights of our unique upcoming tour that you won’t want to miss.

Hosting the tour, and providing expert commentary and answers to your questions, will be Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus at the University of Vermont who is familiar to many through his writings and appearances on Across the Fence, as well as Perry’s Perennials website (perrysperennials.info). Joining him will be Charlie Nardozzi, a nationally known horticulturist, author, gardening consultant, and garden coach (gardeningwithcharlie.com) known to many locally from his weekly radio programs and appearances on WCAX. Rounding out your experts will be Extension educator and horticulture technician Sarah Kingsley-Richards from the University of Vermont, who will share her expertise on pests, fruits, and more.

Day one will begin at the Horticulture Research Center in So. Burlington, with pickup points in Montpelier and Sharon, and will include:

Rolling Green Nursery in Greenland, NH (rollinggreennursery.com) where we’ll have a boxed lunch (included) and time to shop in their greenhouses, nursery (including perennials), and gift shop of unique and local items.

We’ll then visit the nearby New Hampshire Hostas in South Hampton, NH (www.nhhostas.com), where, after their introduction and refreshments, we can shop among the over 3000 plants on three acres, representing hundreds of hosta cultivars and companion plants.

We’ll finish our afternoon travelling along the ocean to nearby North Hampton, NH and the victorian Fuller Gardens (www.fullergardens.org). This former estate of 1920s Massachusetts Governor Fuller is particularly known for its 1700 rose bushes of 125 varieties, (which should be coming into bloom), designed by the famous Olmstead Firm. Other gardens include a small woodland Japanese garden, English-style perennial borders, and conservatories. Our group dinner (included) will be a buffet at the local and awarded Old Salt Restaurant (www.oldsaltnh.com) in Hampton, NH. We’ll then proceed up to South Portland, Maine for our overnight at the Hampton Inn, next to the Maine Mall.

Day two in Maine, after our hot breakfast (included) at our hotel, includes:

Shady Glen nursery in Freeport (www.shadyglennursery.com), where we can tour their display gardens (many in the shade) and shop from their many specialty perennial varieties. Almost all plants for sale are propagated and grown by the owners, Bill and Jerri Stone, who are landscape professionals. Bill has a BS. In Landscape Horticulture and Jerri is a Maine licensed Landscape Architect. This was a very popular visit on our previous Maine tour.

Our visit to the famous, well-loved and highly rated Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay will include a group lunch, optional tours, and more time to shop or visit the gardens on your own. (www.mainegardens.org). With almost 300 acres, 17 being in exquisite gardens, this is the largest botanical

garden in New England, and one of the top rated in the country. Since our last visit they have added a new visitor center, butterfly house and pollinator gardens. After the guided tour of the main gardens, you’ll have the chance to take a Butterflies and Blooms tour. In addition to the many specialty gardens, there are permanent artworks in the gardens. The special exhibits theme this year will be Wicked Wetland Wonders.

Then you have an option to visit Boothbay Harbor, where you can see this picturesque seaside town, shop, and have an afternoon refreshment or ice cream. Or, spend more time at the Gardens instead.

The evening will afford you one of three options to chose from: shop at the outlets and dine in Freeport (with over 200 outlets, boutiques, and Maine-owned shops – all set in a 19th century village—Freeport is an award-winning, and Maine’s favorite, shopping destination); shop/dine in historic downtown Portland; or return to the Hampton hotel to relax or shop at the mall, and eat at a nearby restaurant (within walking distance, or use the free hotel shuttle service).

Day three, after our hotel breakfast (included) and check out, finishes the tour with…

A morning visit to Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH (www.bedrockgardens.org). This is an emerging public garden that integrates unusual botanical specimens and unique sculpture into an inspiring landscape journey. The 37-acre site is transitioning from an historic farm and private garden of designer Jill Nooney, to a public oasis of art, horticulture and inspiration.  We’ll have a guided tour by docents and the Executive Director, John Forti, formerly Director of Horticulture with the Massachusetts Horticulture Society.

We’ll then travel just a few miles to Flag Hill Distillery and Winery (flaghill.com)—the oldest distillery in New Hampshire, and one of the most established wineries in the region. After a sandwich buffet (included), we’ll tour the vinyard and winery, and have a tasting of some of their many products. These include wines made from their French-American and Minnesota hybrid grapes, as well as fruit wines, fortified wine, and sparkling wines. You’ll learn how they grow, and produce wine from, the hardy cold-climate grapes that you’ll be familiar with from Sarah’s prior overview on the bus.

Then it’s back north, with a rest stop along the way, arriving back in South Burlington in early evening.

Included in the price are all admissions and guided tours, snacks and refreshments throughout the tour, lodging, breakfasts and group meals (as noted) each day, and driver gratuity. We’ll travel in a Premier luxury coach, with videos periodically on various gardens locally and abroad, lesser known and some more famous. You’ll get more details on the sites on the bus prior to our visits. Of course you’ll have the chance to network with and get to know other gardeners, and to learn much from and have your questions answered by your expert tour hosts. Sign up soon to make sure you get one of the limited spaces. Due to the popularity of these tours, only your registration will guarantee seating. If you have any special needs (food, seating and accessibility, or other), please let me know at least one week prior to the tour. Do let me know, too, if you have any questions: 802-318-8453, leonard.perry@uvm.edu

Gardens of the Seacoast of New Hampshire and Maine

Monday-Wednesday June 22-24, 2020

Due by May 20, 2020– Register sooner and save $$! See below; space is limited.

Please complete a separate form for each person

Name_________________________________ Name for nametag, if different __________________________

Mail Address________________________________________________________________________________

City____________________________________ State_______ Zip Code__________

Daytime Phone _____________________ email__________________________________________________

Room Bed Preference (if available): King 2 Queens

(This is a non-smoking hotel. Also there is no smoking on the motorcoach.)

Roommate’s Name__________________________

Emergency Contact ________________________ Phone number___________________________

Departing from: ____UVM Hort Farm ____ Montpelier ___ Sharon

Payment (prices per person, please make checks payable to “Green Mountain Horticulture”)

Thinking of Spring Special, until March 20 $659 __________ (per person, double occupancy)

Registration rate March 21- May 20 $689 __________ (per person, double occupancy

Single room supplement $162 __________ (Covers additional hotel costs)

Total $ __________

Refund Policy: Cancellation before May 20, 2020– full refund less a $30 service fee;

Cancellation on or after May 20 but before June 12– 40% refund;

Cancellation on or after June 12– no refund, unless a replacement can be found. If one is found, you will receive a full refund less $30 service fee; we can assist, but ultimately finding a replacement will be your responsibility.

Requests for cancellation must be received in writing (email requests must be confirmed by me).

In the event that we must cancel the tour due to insufficient numbers or other reason, you will get a full refund. Otherwise, note the refund policy. If you desire or need a roommate for double occupancy, ask us and if we know of someone looking for the same we can let you know. Ultimately, though, finding a roomate will be your responsibility. I recommend that you consider travel insurance if you want to be covered in case you need to cancel, due to medical or similar reasons. There are many firms you can use and find online (www.insuremytrip.com/products/providers), with the cost often about 10% the tour cost for multiday trips.

Mail Registration Forms by May 20 (early registration date of March 20) to:

Green Mountain Horticulture Tours, PO Box 735, Milton VT 05468

Confirmation receipt, itinerary, and directions to departure sites will be mailed prior to the tour. For questions on

registration and payment or other, contact tour host Dr. Leonard Perry (leonard.perry@uvm.edu, 802-318-8453).