By Pam Scavera

The 5th annual Friends of the Schroon Lake Library House and Garden Tour will take place on Sunday, July 28, 2013 from 12 noon– 4 pm, rain or shine. All proceeds will benefit the Schroon Lake Public Library. The tour offers visitors the opportunity to explore some of Schroon Lake’s most interesting properties: beautiful and unusual gardens, lovely renovations, inviting wrap-around porches, stunning views and unique locations. This year’s tour will have something for everyone.

We are very excited again this year to offer tour participants free admission to a new presentation at the Boathouse following the tour from 4:00pm – 5:00pm by David Campbell. David Campbell has been gardening in the Adirondacks for over 30 years. After attending Cornell University for Landscape Architecture and Ornamental Horticulture he worked in the horticulture field in Lennox, MA then in Ithaca, Queensbury, and back to Schroon Lake, where with the help of his mother, Ginni, they have tested hundreds of perennials at their garden in Schroon Falls and at various friends and client’s properties from the foothills of the Adirondacks to the mountains around Keene. His talk will focus on extremely hardy plants that are easy to maintain, are insect resistant and have long blooming seasons. For people unable to attend the tour and wishing to hear David Campbell’s presentation, admission will be $10.00 payable at the door of the Boathouse Theater at 3:45pm.

We will also be offering tour participants a lovely buffet brunch at Witherbees Restaurant prior to the tour. Brunch will be served from 10am – 1pm. Pre-registration is required. The menu will be a fresh green salad, spinach and bacon quiche, French toast with Witherbee's own home-made maple syrup, chicken picatta, roasted salmon filet, pasta primavera in vodka sauce, herb roasted potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables, seasonal fresh fruit platter, assorted pastries, muffins and bagels at a cost of $15 per person if you book before July 1st. It's $17 after that date. Please include the cost of brunch in your check. Your ticket/map/brochure will be your admission to the brunch as well as the tour.

We will be selling a limited number of tickets this year and last year’s tour sold out well in advance. Ticket sales are $20.00 and after June 30 the tickets will be $22.00. Tickets can be purchased at the Schroon Lake Library, (518) 532-7737.