By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Livingston County will be full of blooms and blossoms next month as part of the LACASA Center’s 22nd Annual Garden Tour Weekend fundraiser.

The 22nd annual event serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit that works to provide help and hope for victims of child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence in Livingston County. It will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 10th and 11th. Ten one-of-a-kind gardens offering a wide variety of traditional and eclectic gardening experiences will be featured along with two non-traditional locations that include Specialty Growers and the LACASA Collection – LACASA’s charity resale boutique – and guests will receive special shopping discounts at each stop. The gardens are placed throughout the county and guests are invited to roam the grounds at each garden and chat with homeowners about gardening tips.

LACASA’s Communications Manager Jessica Bergum says they had to cancel last year due to COVID and are very excited to bring the event back this year. She tells WHMI LACASA is also celebrating its 40th anniversary as an organization and the 10th anniversary as an organization and the 10th anniversary of their CASA program for foster children.

Bergum says attendees can expect to experience a variety of gardens on this year’s tour. She says all of the hard work is done by dedicated homeowners and nothing is contracted out, adding they take such pride in their gardens and put in countless hours to prepare for the tour each year. She says attendees are able to browse each garden at their leisure during the tour and it’s a great opportunity to get out and visit some beautiful landscapes. Bergum noted the selection process takes place the August prior to the event so for almost a year in advance, homeowners been working to make sure everything is in pristine condition for guests and visitors on the tour.

Additional offerings along the tour include the Blooming Raffle, Annual Quilt Raffle, Photo Safari Contest, and the Stargazer Scavenger Hunt. Tickets for each raffle can be purchased in advance at LACASA Collection or at a specified garden on tour days. Garden Tour Weekend tickets are $20 in advance at area business outlets or online, and $25 at garden entrances. Tour hours are 9am to 4pm daily.

To celebrate LACASA’s 40th anniversary, a VIP Lunch & Learn event is being offered twice throughout the weekend. VIP guests will enjoy lunch in one of the gardens while learning gardening tips from specialists and hearing from LACASA’s President and CEO Bobette Schrandt. Tickets are $40 and include a garden tour ticket and catered lunch. Those tickets must be purchased in advance online and seating is limited.

Tickets for the garden tour can be purchased in advance or on-site. More information is available in the attached press release and provided web link.