Lexington Living Landscapes' Open Garden Days

September 13, 2-4pm and 19, 10am-3pm

Come meet and learn from other Lexington gardeners.

More and more homeowners are embracing landscaping that emphasizes native plants and

organic methods to create more wildlife- and people-friendly yards. Are you curious to see what

other gardeners have done? Stop by any of multiple locations to see the many forms a pollinator

garden can take or learn what alternatives to the traditional lawn fellow residents have tried.

The homeowners involved are generously opening their yards to visitors in the hopes that you’ll

see something that will help or inspire you in your own landscaping, and to learn from you as

well. Many are works in progress. The gardens vary in how long they’ve been established, how

much time the homeowner has invested in them, what the homeowner is trying to accomplish,

and whether the garden has been professionally designed and installed or is a do-it-yourself

project.

A total of fifteen different gardeners are participating over the course of the two days, and each

property will be open to visitors during a two- or three-hour window. Visit as many or as few as

you wish. No ticket or registration is needed.

A detailed schedule and map of participating properties will be available the previous Sunday on our website.

The Life-Saving Benefits of Trees with Dr. Geoffrey Donovan

Tuesday, October 27, 7 pm, online

Sponsored by Lexington Living Landscapes and Cary Memorial Library.

Join us as Dr. Donovan discusses three studies linking urban trees with human health. First, he

will show that women who have more trees around their home are less likely to have

underweight or premature babies. Second, the spread of the emerald ash borer does more than

cause environmental harm. In addition, counties infested with emerald ash borer have higher

rates of cardiovascular and lower respiratory mortality. Finally, he will discuss the public-health

impacts of a tree-planting program in Portland, Oregon where neighborhoods that have

more tree planting also have lower rates of cardiovascular mortality. Taken together, these studies show that urban trees can have a profound effect on our health and strongly suggest that trees should be considered an essential part of a city’s public-health infrastructure.

After receiving his PhD in forest economics from Colorado State University in 2001, Geoffrey

Donovan worked for 23 years as an economist for the USDA Forest Service in Alaska and

Oregon. Currently he is the owner of Ash and Elm Consulting, which is focused on making the

business case for urban trees.

Learn more and register here.