By Kim Halyak, Cooper-Young Garden Walk co-chair
The 5th Annual Cooper-Young Garden Walk is scheduled for this May 15- 17. Produced by the Cooper-Young Garden Club, this weekend celebrates 70-plus homeowners, renters, and businesses who spend hard work, time, and money to make their outdoor spaces lovely for everyone. Our garden walk attendees appreciate the inspiration they gain while peeking into our eclectic, urban gardens. Visitors will see chickens, bees, composting, edibles, water features, and outdoor theatre, she sheds and he sheds, and stylish designs. Add in educational booths, speakers, demo gardens, art vendors and artist studios, a guided bike tour and a shuttle for a full garden extravaganza weekend.
Every year, we add new features, a good reason to come back again and again. This year visitors can expect several additions:
• Moonlight reception and garden tour: On Friday, May 15, we will preview this year’s garden tour with a reception for sponsors, press, and VIP ticket holders, featuring music, canapés, cocktails, and selected gardens. A great deal if you don’t have a whole weekend to tour gardens.
• A new garden walk t-shirt design.
• Mini-talks on sustainability, growing edibles, arranging flowers, medicinal plants, composting, aquaponics, and more.
• New logo to reflect our urban gardens and certified arboretum
• Memphis Travel Bureau promotion
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the need for CY neighbors to participate. There are several ways you can get involved:
• Host your garden and enjoy all the positive comments. Deadline Feb. 15.
• Host your business and attract garden walk visitors.
• Buy a ticket and help fund neighborhood beautification projects.
• Volunteer and earn a free garden walk ticket.
• Be a sponsor and support this worthy project.
• Be a cheerleader and spread the news by hanging up garden walk posters at work, church, and businesses you frequent; invite your friends to come to the walk; share the garden walk event on social media; or host a porch party that weekend and welcome our visitors.
• Finally, be a follower and grow our audience. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
For more information on how to get involved, visit us online at CooperYoungGardenClub.org.
