Welcome to the 2010 Rochester Pond & Garden Tour scheduled for Saturday, July 10, 2010.  This is a self-guided tour of some of the most beautiful and sustainable landscapes around the Rochester area.   The tour will also host educational activities to teach and inspire neighbors, neighborhoods, and businesses to incorporate “green” practices into their landscapes.  RPGT presents a rare opportunity to see privately-owned gardens and speak one-on-one with civic agencies, accomplished landscape designers, green pros, and builders.  At the same time, all profits from the RPGT will be donated to our own RNeighbors organization. 

(Samples of the kinds of gardens on the tour)

Watergarden 1
This 12-foot pondless waterfall is a dazzling entrance to the Stonehedge Development in east Rochester. Created in 2005 from mostly Dresser Trap Stone (used by NASA to test the Martian Rover drill bits) this energetic 20,000 gallon-per-hour falls evokes the North Shore with pines and wildflowers. Set in a community space surrounded by lawns, sidewalks, benches and a Victorian Gazebo it is an ideal space for an evening stroll or morning reflection. Plus, as one neighbor said, "I love telling my friends, take a right at the waterfall."

Watergarden 2
Set on a steep, once overgrown hillside, this 40-foot tumbling pondless waterfall of native limestone features a long-falls, island and drystack wall which the final falls runs over. Set near a busy thoroughfare, entering this garden leaves one saying, "I can't believe this is here." A truly secret garden.

Watergarden 3
This lush Japanese-inspired pond and waterfall garden reflect the serenity and Zen aesthetic of a different time and place. Featuring a hand hewn stone bridge and weathered plank walking path, the pond is 20x8 feet with a tumbling "biospring" waterfall. Tufts of Russian Iris, a glen of ferns and thick blankets of moss give an air of antiquity. Japanese Koi circle a large lava stone in the pond's center, capturing the magic of Kyoto right here in Rochester.