Bee bash
Want to celebrate and learn about bees? You're invited to a free "Pollinator Party" Thursday at Lyndale Park Gardens in Minneapolis. The party, from 5 to 8 p.m., will bring together bees, scientists, beekeepers and live music. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from La Loma Tamales, if you want to make it a picnic. At dusk there will be a screening of the Disney movie "Wings of Life," which offers an intimate look at butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, bats and flowers. Lyndale Park Gardens is located on the east side of Lake Harriet, on the lawn just north of the Peace Garden.
Native plant gardens
Want to incorporate more native plants into your landscape? Wild Ones is sponsoring a self-guided tour of seven suburban yards that highlight native plants used in a variety of ways, including woodlands, prairies, boulevard gardens, rain gardens and lakeshore restorations. The gardens are in Wayzata, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Chaska.
Tour hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The cost for all seven gardens is $7. Tickets will be available the day of the event at 8956 Braxton Dr., Eden Prairie. For a map and garden descriptions, visit www.prairieedge.wildones.org.
Water gardens
See what's burbling in Twin Cities back yards. Ponds, waterfalls, streams and other water features will be on display Saturday and Sunday when the Minnesota Water Garden Society presents its annual tour. This year's event features 13 sites throughout the metro area. All 13 water gardens will be open for touring from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the tour. For tickets, garden descriptions, directions and detailed maps, visit www.mwgs.org.
Kim Palmer
