SAT MAY 6
Happy Derby Day!
Wilmore Flower Sale
Wilmore will host their Annual Flower Sale beginning at 8 am on Main Street. Join Wilmore at the downtown parking lot on East Main for the opening of the Farmers’ Market and the annual Community Flower Sale. Hours are 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Fresh, seasonal and locally grown veggies, bedding plants, hanging baskets, perennials for purchase at low prices. Profits from the flower sale are used to replace or add to plant material in the City’s public flower beds.
Arboretum Plant Exchange/ Urban Soils Workshop
The Arboretum’s annual plant exchange begins at 9 am — bring your plants and starts to the overflow lot. Stay around for the 10 am Urban Soils Workshop. Join Dr. Hannah Angel and Native Plants Curator Jess Slade to learn about the soil beneath your feet and how you can care for this living ecosystem to create a healthier landscape above ground. The workshop begins with soil biology, chemistry, and physical properties. Participants will learn how to take a soil sample and identify characteristics of the soils on their own property, how to improve these soils over time, and how to select plants that will grow well in our urban environment.
FRI MAY 12
Flower Arranging
Just in time for Mother’s Day weekend — give Mom what she really wants — time with you, creating your very own floral arrangements together at Forage’s flower arranging class. The design experts will discuss design elements, floral processing techniques, and tips and tricks to help your arrangement last. 6:30 pm, Forage.
SAT MAY 13
Annual Iris Show
For over 50 years, iris enthusiasts in central Kentucky have gathered each May to show their best irises and have them judged according to national standards set by the American Iris Society. The Bluegrass Iris Society continues that tradition with this annual event that shows more than 100 different named varieties of iris. A must-see for any gardener. 1 pm, Lexington Green.
Plant Sale
The annual Down to Earth Garden Sale has a new venue this year. Woodland Christian is under construction this year, and the sale will relocate to the parking lot of Centenary United Methodist Church parking lot, 9 am to Noon at 2800 Tates Creek.
SAT MAY 20
The Berea Arts Council Garden Tour is a fundraiser for programs, exhibitions, and general operating costs. Your support helps the Berea Arts Council create, sustain, and enhance community in Berea and beyond through the arts. Guests will get to explore beautiful private and public gardens.
SUN JUN 11
Bungalow Tour
The Kenwick Neighborhood Association presents the 2023 Kenwick Bungalow Tour on Sunday, June 11th, 1-5 p.m. Between eight to ten homes and gardens will be stops on the tour. While every house may not be a bungalow, each one will show a different aspect of Kenwick’s unique personality. This event helps the Kenwick Neighborhood Association raise money for projects such as neighborhood park updates, Kenwick Victory Christian Church community garden, and events at the Kenwick Community Center.
SAT JUN 17
Historic Botherum Tour
Jon Carloftis Fine Gardens invites the public to tour the historic home and gardens of Botherum, with ticket proceeds benefiting the work of The Garden Club of Kentucky, Inc.
SAT JUN 24
Garden Tour
The Lexington Council Garden Clubs invites you to visit a carefully curated selection of area gardens on June 24, 2023, 10 am to 5 pm and June 25, 2023, 1 pm to 5 pm. Whether you are a gardener, a homeowner seeking new ideas or just enjoy beauty and tranquility, please join the Tour, rain or shine to visit some of our area’s most inspiring gardens. The Open Gates to Bluegrass Living tour will feature gardens of every size, both professionally-designed and homeowner-designed spaces, including a rooftop garden and a garden filled with sculpture.
The biennial fundraising event serves to provide educational opportunities, community outreach, and beautification of our city. Grant recipients from past tours include scholarships to University of Kentucky students majoring in horticulture and related fields, historic preservation at the Hunt Morgan House, Waveland, and Wallis House, the headquarters of the State Garden Club of Kentucky; educational activities at libraries, schools, the Fayette County Extension, the Arboretum, the Family Care Center outdoor classroom, Seedleaf Community Garden; as well as landscaping for the Hope Center, the Markey Cancer Center Meditation Garden, neighborhood median gardens, and the Ashland Terrace garden, along with numerous Monarch Waystations throughout Lexington.
SAT JUL 1
Daylily Show
The Bluegrass Hemerocallis Society presents their lovely flowers judged and staged in all of their beauty, 1 pm, Twin Pines Christian Church.
SAT JUL 22
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour of Homes extends across the last two weekends in July, and is an annual scattered site showcase of new homes. This event provides an opportunity for home lovers to view the latest trends in new home construction and to speak directly with builders, designers, and professionals about their dream homes.
SAT JUL 29
Iris Sale
The Bluegrass Iris Society follows up their Spring Show with an Annual Sale highlighting the best of this year’s offerings. A must-see for any gardener. Lexington Green. (Pro Tip: they sell out early.)
SAT AUG 26
Home Tour
The 2023 Tour of Remodeled Homes is a scattered site tour, offering an inside peek at some of Lexington’s latest remodeling and renovation trends. The Tour features kitchen, bath and whole-house remodels, and outdoor living space updates. Continues through Sunday.
This article appears on page 8 of the May 2023 issue of Ace. To subscribe, click here.
