ITHACA, N.Y. — Six outstanding private gardens in Tompkins County will be open for tours as part of the 2021 Open Days Garden Tours, to be held on two Saturdays, July 10th and August 7th from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Each date features different private gardens including many favorite sites that have been on the tour in past years.

On Saturday, July 10th, four gardens will be open for tours: the Mary Squyres’ Garden and Lyman Hillside Garden in Ithaca, the Lion Garden in Lansing, and the Filios Garden in Trumansburg. On Saturday, August 7, the Ridenour Lotus Pond and the Van Sickle Garden will be open. Advance tickets are required.  Tours are self-guided and will take place rain or shine.

The Tompkins County Community Beautification Program coordinates local participation in this national event sponsored by The Garden Conservancy. Admission is $10/person per garden with proceeds split between the two coordinating groups.  Due to the pandemic, only advance digital tickets will be sold, there will be no ticket sales or admission at for walk-ins.  Please visit the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days website to see photos of the featured sites for each date and to purchase tickets to visit each garden.

The Tompkins County Beautification Program works with volunteers to increase the aesthetic visual quality of Tompkins County’s natural and built landscapes while welcoming visitors and enhancing quality of life for residents. The program is housed at Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County and is funded by the Tompkins County Tourism Program with Hotel Room Tax funs. To see examples of the program’s work, please visit: http://ccetompkins.org/beautification. Please contact Mila Fournier, Horticulture Program Leader at CCE-Tompkins, at ym5@cornell.edu or (607) 272-2292 ext. 194 with questions.

–Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

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