Botanical Garden, Homestead Garden and Forest Trails Tours
May 26 – September 3
Thursdays and Saturdays
11am – Noon and 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Come out and join the Pratt Museum and Park Garden Crew this summer for guided tours of the Botanical Gardens, Homestead Garden, and Forest Trails. We will offer an interpretive introduction to the broader
ecology of the Kachemak Bay region and describe the ways that we
incorporate the plant communities of the region into the Botanical Garden
at the Pratt Museum. Botany experts and novices alike can find delightful
insights as we explore the interactions and dynamics of our local
ecosystem.
The Homestead Garden is an ever-evolving exhibit featuring many
classic fruits and vegetables and a few specific local varieties that have
been treasured by the local community for generations. We will explore
some of the basics of plant propagation, discuss the benefits of perennial
food crops and talk about food preservation and storage. Snacking is
encouraged! Throughout the season, something is always worth sampling
out of the garden, though the real delight is black currant season in the
late autumn.
The Forest Trails showcase the ecological context in which the Pratt
Museum and Park is embedded. These trails wind through one of the
larger remaining wild spaces in downtown Homer, and have some of the
largest remaining trees in the area. Wildlife is abundant and the plant
communities are diverse. There are several loops of varying distance that
wind through the nearly 10 acre forest. A meander through these woods
with one of our guides will offer an opportunity for wildlife sightings,
listening to songbirds and discussing the ethnobotanical and historical
uses of plants that live in our region.