Garden Tours at Hendricks Park this Spring

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0,3/~ 4/04 WED 13 52 FAX 541 682 4882 EUGENE PW MNTNC & POS PW ADMIN I~j001 ~ I I ' ~ I March 24, 004 CONTACT • Gin y Alfriend, Gardener, Hendricks Park, 682-5324 • Th ese M. Picado, Public Information Specialist, Parks and Open Space, 682-4814 or ~ 682 800, therese m picadoCdtci eugene.or.us FOR IMM DIATE RELEASE GARDEN TOURS AT HENDRICKS PARK THIS SPRING Sprin is here and Hendricks Park is in bloom. Encounter magnolias, fiododendrons and ~ native flo on walking tours of the renowned rhododendron garden and native plant garden at the park th s Sunday, March 28. Ginny Alfriend, Hendricks Park gardener and resident native plant exile ,will lead a tour of the native plant garden at 11 a.m., and Roger Gossler, owner of Gossler F rms Nursery and nationally known magnolia expert, will lead a tour of the magnolias in the rhod endron garden, considered one of the best collections in the northwest, at 1 p.m. All tours b gin at the F. M. Wilkins Shelter at 2200 Summit Avenue and last about an hour. Mi ael Robert, former head gardener at the park, has witnessed spring unfold at the park for o r 20 years and describes it like this: "The canopy of magnolias, crowning over the fiododen rons, appears as a cloud of pastels, and the early rhododendrons add to a circus of color, in njunction with the many bulbs and perennials on the ground. The Native Plant Garden is Iso in full bloom with hosts of trilliums, irises and western Solomon's seal." St rdy walking shoes are recommended. The wildflower tour travels through the area around th shelter and into an area of the forest that was recently cleared of ivy on gravel or wood chip paths. The magnolia tour walks through the hillside garden on groomed gravel paths that are la ely accessible to people using wheelchairs. Pets are not allowed. Pa ing is limited at the park; alternative transportation is strongly encouraged. To visit the park b bus, take the #27 Fairmount route to Walnut and 17"', walk south to Fairmount, and continue ne block, then turn east on Summit and walk up to the top of the hiH where you will see the W Ikins shelter. For more information or special accessibility accommodations, call 682-5324 r visit www.ci.eugene.or.us/parks/hendricks.