Lily show

Lilies will be in the spotlight this weekend when the North American Lily Society's show and convention come to town. The lily show is open to the public at the Hilton Airport/Mall of America at 3800 American Blvd. E. in Bloomington. Hours are 1:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon Sunday. Lily growers will be displaying Asiatic, Martagon, Oriental, trumpet species and interdivisional lilies, including some never-seen-before hybrids.

Other events, for registered attendees of the conference, will include presentations and seminars and a Saturday bus tour to visit five outstanding lily gardens in the Twin Cities. For more information, call Peggy Nerdahl at 952-479-7478 or e-mail rodnerdahl@comcast.net. The show's website is www.allstarlilies.org.

Arb garden tour

A summer tradition, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Auxiliary Garden Tour, will take place Sunday, Tuesday and July 16. Four exquisite gardens have been chosen to celebrate the 30th year of this tour, including a nationally recognized hosta glen, a wooded dry-creek-bed retreat, a garden overlooking Lake Minnetonka and a colorful country garden.

Tour participants will be transported in air-conditioned buses, complete with restrooms. An auxiliary member and homeowner will be available at each site to answer questions about the gardens. The tour includes brunch/lunch accompanied by music under the trees on the Arb's Morgan Terrace.

Tour price is $55 for Sunday; $50 for Tuesday and July 16. Proceeds benefit the arboretum. For details and to reserve a spot, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu/auxgardentours.aspx or call 612-625-9865 for more information.

Master gardener learning tour

Eight gardens designed and maintained by master gardeners will be open for touring during the Extension Master Gardener Learning Garden Tour on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will also see hands-on demonstrations at "Education Stations," and master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions.

The FamilyMeans garden tour in the St. Croix area will feature eight private gardens.

Tickets are $15 before the event; $20 on the day of the tour. Children under 12 attend free. Tickets can be ordered online at www.hennepinmastergardeners.org or at the Hennepin County Master Gardener office at 479 Prairie Center Dr., Eden Prairie, or contact Terry at hcmg@umn.edu, 612-596-2130, for more information.

St. Croix garden tour

FamilyMeans, a nonprofit that provides counseling and mental health services, is hosting its 22nd annual St. Croix Garden Tour on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year, eight private gardens in Stillwater and Lake Elmo will be featured. The gardens include perennial and rain gardens, fairy gardens, gardens with native plantings and prairie restoration, hardscapes and sculptures and even a G-scale miniature railway.

Tickets are $15 per person if purchased in advance; $20 the weekend of the event. Ages 12 and under attend free. To purchase your ticket, call FamilyMeans at 651-439-4840 or visit www.familymeans.org.

Kim Palmer