ROCKPORT — Granite-laden gardens infused with art and music will be among the features at the Rockport Garden Club’s annual garden tour, which will offer other surprises.
Tickets are available now for this year’s “Rockport in Bloom” self-guided tour that takes place Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.
For the first time, one of the ten gardens in the north of Rockport includes an African stone sculpture garden, where there a talk on the history of the sculptures will be offered twice that day. Additionally, the Emerson Inn will offer boxed lunches to pre-order by June 17 with ticket purchase.
Garden tour proceeds support the club’s civic projects such as the design, planting and maintenance of 13 town gardens, holiday decorations at Oceanside Nursing Center (formerly Den Mar), scholarships to Rockport students, providing classes for senior housing residents, grants for community projects, and education programs for members.
“We are thrilled to include gardens with lush blossoms and artistic granite accents this year,” Co-Chair Elinor Juviler said. “And most gardens have gorgeous ocean views.”
This year the tour features the return of artists in the gardens. When the tour concludes, a “Wet Paint” reception and art sale, open to the public, will be held at the Emerson Inn, 1 Cathedral Ave., from 4-6 p.m.
Featured artists are Chris Barensfeld, John Caggiano, Lynn Cassinari, Nancy Jarvis, Mary Lee, Pat McCarthy, Vanessa Michalak, Kathleen Miller, Alison Moir-Smith, Claudia Morris, Nancy Muise, Michelle O’Neil, Holly Popeo, Peg Runcie, Isabel Santos, Rosemary Sullivan, Joli Ayn Wood and Heidi Zander.
Co-Chair Lory Ragino said she sees each garden as a “live artwork.”
“The gardeners are artists who paint with foliage and flowers,” Ragino said. “The professional artists are capturing and preserving these beautiful compositions with oil, acrylic and watercolor. I am personally touched and inspired by what I see during the tour.”
“The Rockport garden tour is the perfect day out with gardens, artists, lunch and the fresh outdoors — the ideal summer day,” Co-Chair Pat Alto said. Also serving as co-chairs are Elvira Fulchino and Beth Delforge.
To further enhance the experience, the co-chairs have organized student musicians to add to the ambience at a few stops on the tour.
Tickets are $35 and may be purchased at the John Tarr Store, 49 Main St., through June 20; or at the Rockport Farmers Market in Harvey Park this Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and online through June 20 at rockportgardenclub.org.
On the day of the tour, tickets can be purchased, and pre-orders picked up, from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rockport Police Station, 168 Main St., or Barletta Park downtown.