The NDSU plant sciences department is set to host a public garden event called Plants, Local Foods and Outdoor Spaces on Thursday, Sept. 5, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the NDSU Horticulture Research and Demonstration Gardens.
The gardens are located at the corner of 12th Avenue and 18th Street North.
The event will feature walking tours of the All-America Selections bedding plant display garden and the NDSU Historic Daylily Display Garden. The NDSU daylily garden is an official display garden of the American Hemerocallis Society and features more than 1,700 daylily cultivars.
"This is the largest public daylily collection in the nation," said Esther McGinnis, NDSU Extension horticulturist and associate professor of plant sciences.
At the event, NDSU will pay tribute to the life and contributions of daylily aficionado Bryce Farnsworth. "Bryce was very instrumental in the founding of the NDSU daylily garden and its subsequent expansion," McGinnis said. "He passed away last fall, and we are grieving his loss. We will have a special plaque dedication at 4 p.m. to honor his memory."
Photographer Bob Splichal will teach a macro photography class at 4:30 p.m. Other activities include a terrarium-building demonstration and a pollinator lesson for children.
NDSU faculty also will lead a riding tour of fruit and high tunnel research projects at 5 p.m. and vegetable research projects at 6 p.m.
Extension Master Gardeners will be on site to accept donations of fresh garden produce and canned goods to benefit the local food pantry. They also will answer plant questions.
For more information, contact McGinnis at 701-231-7971 or esther.mcginnis@ndsu.edu.
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