Annual Herb and Flower Festival June 20, 2015 - Oriskany, NY

One of the most widely anticipated, prettiest outdoor events of the season - the 19th annual HERB & FLOWER FESTIVAL - will be held this year on Saturday, June 20, from 9 AM until 3 PM, at the Parker F. Scripture Botanical Gardens, 121 Second Street, Oriskany, NY.  It's a well-attended festival featuring some 50 vendors. There is an admission donation of $3.00 per person.  In case you've never been, it's near the Oneida County Airport. A sweeping view of rural sections of the Mohawk Valley adds charm to the location.

You may be wondering why a blog dedicated to writers and writing would be promoting this event.  It's not because we're gardeners, though some of us are. It's because your blog editor was sitting in her customary "library office" when Pat Maloney, a Master Gardener and volunteer at the Oneida County Chapter of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, was setting up the June glass-enclosed display case right next to my table,  and because I'm a gardener too, we got to talking about plants. The next thing I know, I'm volunteering to promote the event, because we enjoy informing our readers about any good features and opportunities to be found in the greater Whitesboro area. You'll be able to view the display at the left side of the library lobby starting June 2.

Pat, herself a Master Gardener,  has been a volunteer at the festival and has helped to maintain the gardens there for the past eight years.  She and another Master Gardener, Janet Furgal, graciously provided this information which I am happy to pass along to all of you. Pat said that there's always a need for volunteers to work in the beautiful gardens, especially at this time of year as they strive to get them in tip-top shape for the many visitors who come not just for the festival, but all season long, for leisurely garden strolls and hiking the nearby nature trail.

In addition to numerous herb, veggie, and flower beds, there is a  trellis garden tended by the children from the House of the Good Shepard,  a cottage garden, conifer garden, water garden, fairy garden and a new Zen garden.  Perhaps the most unique feature of the large site is a butterfly house, which you can enter and perhaps coax one of the many species fluttering about to land on your arm.

The pictures, pretty as they are, cannot adequately convey how beautiful and sweet-smelling these gardens are when you're there in person. If that's not enough enticement, you can purchase all kinds of annual and perennial plants to take home, chat with Master Gardeners, take free classes, and eat lunch there, too. Why not add dessert:  home-made ice-cream sandwiches featuring lavender-bud cookies.

For more information, please have a look at this link, or stop in and pick up a brochure at the library.
http://www.cceoneida.com/events/19th-annual-herb-and-flower-festival/view/2015-06-20#.VWyVLknD_IU

For even more information and directions: http://www.cceoneida.com/home-and-garden/parker-f-scripture-botanical-gardens/