Explore Secret Gardens of Niagara-on-the-Lake in Support of the Shaw Theatre Festival

The Shaw Festival Guild today announced plans for the 5th Annual Shaw Guild Garden Tour. Eight Niagara-on-the-Lake gardens, including the Shaw Festival’s own Secret Garden, will be featured in this year’s tour which takes place Saturday June 12, 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm.

Unique garden ideas, from a formal garden of a historic home that survived the War of 1812, to a spectacular outdoor living room and a dramatic ‘no-grass’ garden are included. Visitors will explore lush, mature perennial gardens and see how to incorporate ponds and waterfalls into their own gardens. Master Gardeners will be on hand at each stop to discuss garden details and a feature sheet will be provided for each property. Properties for viewing this year include gardens located on the scenic Niagara Parkway and in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s ‘old-town’ heritage district as well as the Shaw Festival's Secret Garden where costumes from The Shaw will also be on display.

On the day of the tour, Niagara’s leading garden centre, Mori Gardens, offers ticket holders complimentary iced tea, a 10% discount on purchases that day, and the opportunity to have their gardening questions answered by the experts. Reif Estate Winery will be providing a complimentary wine tasting and Kurtz Orchards will be using their tram to shuttle visitors through their orchards and vineyards to the family's private estate gardens.

Secret Garden Tour Tickets are $20 and are available through the Shaw Box Office at 1-800-511-7429. Box lunches can be pre-ordered with your ticket purchase. Visit www.shawfest.com/gardentour for a complete list of addresses of gardens being featured on the tour.Tickets can also be purchased in advance in Niagara-on-the-Lake at Mori Gardens, Elizabeth's, the Chamber of Commerce, and in Fonthill at Vermeer's Garden Centre. On the day of the event, tickets will be available at any of the gardens on the tour, or outside of Valu-Mart, downtown Niagara on the Lake.

The Tour is organized by the Shaw Guild volunteers with net proceeds going to support the Endowment Fund of the Shaw Festival.

For more information or photos, members of the media may contact:

Odette Yazbeck Public Relations Director 1-800-657-1106 ext 2222 Odette@shawfest.com

Vicky Downes, Shaw Guild Secret Gardens Committee 905-468-9145 royalmanor@sympatico.ca

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