Coon Rapids Sustainable Garden Tour Returns July 19th, Showcasing Eco-Friendly Landscapes And Seeking 2025 Participants

Coon Rapids Sustainable Garden Tour Returns July 19th, Showcasing Eco-Friendly Landscapes And Seeking 2025 Participants

COON RAPIDS, MN – July 8, 2025 – Get ready to be inspired! The City of Coon Rapids is excited to announce its annual Sustainable Garden Tour, offering residents a unique opportunity to explore beautiful and environmentally conscious gardens across the community. This year's self-guided tour will take place on Saturday, July 19, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Organized by the Coon Rapids Sustainability Commission, this popular event highlights innovative gardening practices that contribute to a healthier environment and vibrant local ecosystems. Each year, the tour showcases gardens throughout the city that feature:

• Native Plants: Discover the beauty and resilience of plants indigenous to Minnesota. Native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, requiring less water, fertilizer, and pesticides, and providing essential habitat and food sources for local wildlife. Examples of Minnesota native plants often seen in sustainable gardens include milkweed (crucial for Monarch butterflies), coneflowers, blazing stars, and various native grasses.
• Pollinator-Friendly Plants: Learn how to create havens for bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators. These gardens feature specific plant choices that provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season, helping to support declining pollinator populations. Common pollinator-friendly plants in Minnesota include anise hyssop, bee balm, asters, and goldenrods.
• Edible Fruits and Vegetables: Explore flourishing home gardens where residents are growing their own produce, demonstrating the benefits of local food production, reducing food miles, and promoting food security within the community.
• Bee Lawn Alternatives to Turf Grass: Witness innovative approaches to traditional lawns, such as "bee lawns." These low-maintenance alternatives incorporate low-growing flowering plants like Dutch white clover, self-heal, and creeping thyme into turf, offering a drought-tolerant and pollinator-friendly ground cover that requires less mowing and watering than conventional grass.

"The Sustainable Garden Tour is a fantastic way for residents to gain practical knowledge and inspiration for their own yards," says a spokesperson for the City of Coon Rapids. "By showcasing these diverse sustainable gardens, we hope to encourage more community members to adopt practices that benefit our local environment, from conserving water to supporting essential pollinators."

Garden Tour Locations to be Announced This Summer!

A detailed map of the participating garden locations for the July 19th tour will be made available on the Sustainable Garden Tour page of the City of Coon Rapids website (www.coonrapidsmn.gov) during the week of the tour. Attendees are encouraged to review the map prior to the event to plan their route.

Looking Ahead: Sign Up to Be a 2025 Tour Stop!

For those inspired to share their own sustainable gardening efforts, the Coon Rapids Sustainability Commission is already planning for next year's tour. Applications to be considered as a tour stop in 2025 were accepted until June 13th, 2025, via an online form on the City's website.

Please note that signing up does not guarantee selection as a tour stop. Final decisions about tour stop locations for the 2025 event will be made in June-July 2025, and participants will be notified prior to the event. This early planning allows the Commission to curate a diverse and educational experience for attendees.Whether you're a seasoned gardener looking for new ideas or just starting to explore sustainable living, the Sustainable Garden Tour promises a morning of education, beauty, and community connection.

Event Details (2024 Tour):

• What: Sustainable Garden Tour
• When: Saturday, July 19, 2025, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Where: Various residential gardens throughout Coon Rapids. Map of locations will be available online the week of the tour at www.coonrapidsmn.gov.

About the Coon Rapids Sustainability Commission: The Coon Rapids Sustainability Commission is dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship and sustainable practices within the city. Through initiatives like the Sustainable Garden Tour, they aim to educate residents and foster a more environmentally conscious community.

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