KINGSTON, R.I. – June 30, 2011 – Thirty-two private and public gardens designed and maintained by University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners will be open to the public for the fifth biennial “Gardening with the Masters” tour.

The statewide garden tour will be held, rain or shine, on Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Guidebooks, which serve as admission for both days and include garden descriptions and directions, cost $15 and must be purchased in advance. They are available at 15 garden centers around Rhode Island or from the URI Outreach Center on the Kingston campus. The guidebooks can also be obtained by calling 401-874-2900 or visiting the URI Master Gardener website at www.urimga.org.

Funds raised from the garden tour will support the many educational programs sponsored by the Master Gardener Association each year.

A preview of the gardens is available at www.urimga.org, where visitors may also link to a Facebook page to see photographs of the featured gardens.

The URI Master Gardener Association is a volunteer organization for gardeners which has as its primary missions education, outreach and sustainability This garden tour is one way they demonstrate good gardening practices. It is a unique opportunity for the public to see the accomplishments of some of the 700 URI Master Gardeners that live in Rhode Island.

For Further Information Mamie Chen 401-874-2900