Plan now for the David Davis Mansion's annual Glorious Garden Festival Garden Walk: Garden Visions! 

Garden lovers can put on their walking shoes June 19-20 and discover some beautiful gardens in the Bloomington-Normal area during the 24th Annual Glorious Garden Festival Garden Walk: Garden Visions! The walk is a fundraiser for the David Davis Mansion Foundation, which provides private support for the state-operated David Davis Mansion State Historic Site.The Garden Walk begins on the grounds of the David Davis Mansion at 1000 Monroe Drive in Bloomington. Easy ticket and map pick-up, with drive-through service and free parking on the Mansion grounds, is available during the entire event weekend.

Once the maps have been picked up, garden walkers are encouraged to visit Sarah’s Garden and shop at the vendors’ marketplace on the mansion lawn, featuring a variety of vendors and non-profit organizations. They can also enjoy complimentary tea and desserts served under a tent on the mansion lawn.

Members of the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners in McLean County will conduct tours of Sarah’s Garden, and visitors can learn from these experts how to design their own Victorian gardens using heirloom plants from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and other famous American gardens. Walk thru tours of the Davis Mansion will also be offered. At that point, the garden walkers can head out to see the private gardens at their own pace. The tickets are good for both days so they can travel at their own pace and see some gardens on Friday and the remainder on Saturday.

Tickets are $18 in advance and $10 for anyone under 18 at selected retailers. Tickets online (here) will be $19 and $11. Please check back for the date tickets go on sale and purchase locations. 

This year's Walk includes a variety of do-it-yourself gardens and some that have had help from professional landscapers. All the gardens and yards give garden walkers creative ideas they can use in their own homes. Garden owners and staff representing local landscape sponsors may be on hand to provide expertise and insights in some of the gardens. Visitors are sure to be inspired by the creativity of some of the community’s most talented gardeners.

The David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, was built in 1872 for Supreme Court Justice David Davis and his wife, Sarah. The site is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9am-3:30pm for free public tours. The David Davis Mansion Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization that helps support the Mansion through memberships available to the public.