Vineyard Gardens is into traditions, celebrations, and the community. It’s been dedicated to helping those with — or wanting to cultivate — green thumbs for some 30 years. And appropriately for this season, they give thanks with a fabulous end-of-the season Harvest Festival, now in its 25th year.
It’s going to be a feast for all the senses: sight, touch, taste, and sound. And since it’s for the community, there’s something here for people of all ages. For those who cannot be around plants without using their hands, or are artistically inclined, they will offer free activities such as making your own mini pumpkin bouquets, pinecone bird feeders, and paperwhite as well as narcissus planting. With the purchase of a sugar pumpkin, you can also pick up a paintbrush to decorate it.
There will be live music to tap your feet to, along with free, delicious eats, including grilled hot dogs, chili, cornbread, and pumpkin pies topped off with whipped cream.
This year they’re adding something new — free pony rides for the kids. For all of us, they are giving garden bed tours, and beautiful displays of seasonal plants and pottery will festoon the event.
The Harvest Festival is a time to market and promote Vineyard Gardens and pass along its wealth of knowledge while the time is ripe. Owner Christine Wiley explains, “Timing is a very important thing in gardening, and fall is a great time for it. It’s the best time to install new lawns and to fertilize and lime your lawns. And fall is the only time to plant spring bulbs — daffodils, tulips, crocus — and a great time to plant trees and shrubs and perennials.
“It is also a great time to plant a crop of greens for your salads. We have lettuce , spinach, arugula, and kale ready to plant right now.” (Fall sales make the price right too.)
Wiley also talks about Vineyard Gardens’ underlying mission: “We would like to educate people about plants and gardening … I was a former high school science teacher. I am a huge supporter of education just for the sake of learning, because there is so much to know and such little time.”
Vineyard Gardens, 484 State Rd. in West Tisbury, hosts its Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 11 am to 3 pm. For more information, call 508-693-8512 or visit vineyardgardens.net.
