ReWild Long Island and Port Washington Water District to host tour to inspire water-efficient landscapes
Following the overwhelming success of last year’s tour and the Port Washington Peninsula’s focus on water conservation, the Port Washington Water District (PWWD) will once again join forces with ReWild Long Island to bring the Port Washington community its second annual Sustainable Garden Tour on June 17. The tour will showcase beautiful, low water, earth friendly landscapes around Port Washington. The event serves as an important component of the PWWD’s Do It For Port! campaign, which engages the community in dialogue and action around drinking water conservation and protection.
“Working with our community to promote biodiversity and sustainable landscaping on the Port Washington Peninsula is ReWild’s chief mission,” said Raju Rajan, President of the Board at ReWild Long Island. “Native plants are one of the best ways to ensure that your gardens are as pleasing to the eye as ever while still protecting our environment. The enthusiasm expressed by last year’s many attendees was phenomenal, and we are very excited to work with the PWWD again this year.”
Residents will feast their senses on biodiverse and sustainable gardens that feature bird and pollinator-friendly native plants, strategies to reduce your lawn footprint, composting, organic fruits and vegetables, smart sprinklers and more. Guests will pick up ideas to create a great-looking garden that uses less water and fewer chemicals while saving time and money.
“Visitors to my garden will learn how to transition from a traditional to a sustainable garden requiring less watering and maintenance while using no fertilizers or pesticides,” said first-time host Kathy Coley. “I found the pollinator garden design for my front yard on the ReWild Long Island website. Each year, I add a few more plants to attract birds, bees and butterflies.”
“The 2022 Sustainable Garden Tour was one of the most exciting parts of our Do It For Port! Campaign last year and we knew immediately after that we would bring it back in 2023,” said PWWD Commissioner Mindy Germain. “We are grateful for the homeowners and organizations sharing their properties and practices and excited to see our residents again on June 17.”
Do It For Port! campaign events such as the Sustainable Garden Tour yielded major results by the end of 2022. Last summer was one of the hottest and driest on record, with only seven inches of rain hitting the Port Washington area from June until September. However, when compared to all four of the similarly dry summers since 2010, PWWD residents saved an average of 45.5 million gallons of water. This was a true testament to not only the success of the Do It For Port! campaign, but it also shows that the residents of the Port Washington Peninsula truly care about the environment and the preservation of their most precious natural resource. The PWWD and ReWild Long Island hope that the 2023 Sustainable Garden Tour will help yield similar results by the end of this upcoming summer.
The 2023 Sustainable Garden Tour will begin at 9:30 a.m., and parking details and directions will be issued upon registration. To register for the tour, please visit www.pwwd.org/gardentour. Residents are encouraged to visit www.rewildlongisland.org to learn more about sustainable gardening, upcoming activities, and ways to get involved.
—Submitted by the Port Washington Water District
