Green-thumbed residents of Coon Rapids, it's your time to shine—literally. As the sun crawls higher and the soil gets warmer, the Coon Rapids Sustainability Commission is once again calling for participants in its annual Sustainable Garden Tour, which will spotlight the city's most eco-friendly and bio-diverse backyards this July. If you’ve turned your patch of earth into a haven for native flora, pollinators, or a cornucopia of home-grown veggies, this could be your moment to share your green secrets with the community.
In an effort to champion sustainable living and gardening practices, the Commission's tour is set to kick off on Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m with various locations throughout the city poised to be put on display, which ones will be announced in July, the specifics still under wraps for now; however, what we do know is aspiring participants have a ticking clock to beat, with the online form submission deadline beckoning on Sunday, June 15. Remember, just because you put your garden up for consideration doesn't plant you firmly on the tour map—selections will be pruned and finalized later in the month, according to an announcement on the City of Coon Rapids official website.
For those who didn't make the calendar note, here's your reminder: If you want a shot at having your leafy accomplishments and beebuzzing bonanzas bragged about come mid-July, then get to filling out that form pronto. Even those without a competitive streak may find value in the educational aspect of the tour, where gardening tips, sustainability practices, and a touch of neighborly camaraderie come to the fore like sunflowers in August.
And who knows? Beyond the impending local glory, your garden could set the seeds for the eco-consciousness Coon Rapids strives for, something we could all stand to root a little deeper in this concrete-dominated world, plus you might walk away with new ideas for your personal patch of paradise or at the very least, a few compliments from fellow plant lovers who truly get what it means to dig in the dirt as the planet gets hotter and the bees, well, they need all the friends they can get these days. Final decisions about tour stop locations will be made in late June, and participants will be notified prior to the event—don't leave your possible moment in the sun to chance, get those forms in, green thumbs.
