August events announced for Saratoga Spa State Park | Events

Saratoga Spa State Park is introducing a number of new events for garden enthusiasts. Below are events for August.

Tuesdays in August, 8:00-9:30 a.m.: Spa Park Garden Q&A

Caretakers of the Spa Park gardens, Dan and Joan, will be by the gardens at the Route 9 entrance of Avenue of the Pines every Tuesday through August 28th to answer your gardening questions. Come find out how they create such a dazzling entrance to Saratoga Spa State Park.  Participants will receive a brochure with a checklist of plants in the gardens along with their growing requirements. Hope to see you there! For more information please call 518-584-2000 Ext. 150.  Reservations are not needed.  Free parking is available at the Lincoln Bathhouse off Route 9 or the Warming Hut off the Avenue of the Pines.  Walk to the gardens from there.

Saturday, August 25th, 8:00-11:00 a.m.: Spa Park Garden Tour

Come visit Spa Park for a tour of the bountiful gardens at the Route 9 entrance of the Avenue of the Pines. Caretakers of the gardens, Dan and Joan, will be there to explain their work, and to escort patrons around the gardens, and answer your gardening questions. Join us for a late summer view of the gardens as the fall plants begin to emerge and many summer blooming plants are at their peak in the bright August light. Participants will receive a brochure with a checklist of plants in the gardens along with their growing requirements.  The rain date will be August 26th. For more information please call 518-584-2000 Ext. 150.  Reservations are not needed.  Free parking is available at the Lincoln Bathhouse off Route 9 or the Warming Hut off the Avenue of the Pines.  Walk to the gardens from there.

The events listed above would not be possible if not supported by the New York State Independent Flower Growers Marketing Council, aka NY Flower Power Groups’ donation of flowers.  Their mission is to promote New York grown horticulture products through all available independent marketing channels.  Their goal is to inform people about where to find New York State grown flowers and plant materials.  They also provide information on planting and caring for flowers that will thrive in New York’s diverse climate. 

In the Saratoga/Capital District Region the NY Flower Power Group has donated flowers to Peebles Island, Moreau Lake, Grafton Lakes, Minekill and Max V. Shaul State Parks, and Crailo and Schuyler Mansion State Historic Sites, in addition to the gardens at Saratoga Spa State Park.

NY Flower Power’s Executive Director, Mary Jeanne Packer, stated “We’re delighted to have had this opportunity to showcase NYS grown flowers and other plant material.  The members were happy to have contributed flowers to the Saratoga/Capital Region this year to make this initiative successful. Current members include Binley’s Florist & Garden Center, Glens Falls, Green Scapes, Mechanicville, Sunnyside Gardens, Saratoga Springs and Griffin Greenhouse Supply, Schenectady.  We’re excited at the prospect of taking what we’ve learned in this year’s pilot program to a much larger scale in 2013.  As marketing funds become available, we would like to develop a website and brochure to assist patrons leading them to local garden centers where they could purchase flowers/plants similar to those that are on display in the Parks.” 

The Council is currently seeking funding through the Specialty Crops Block Grant.   If awarded, this would enable them to undertake these marketing activities.

The Saratoga/Capital District Region of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation administers 12 parks and 8 historic sites. Please visit nysparks.com for more information.