Be inspired! Take a tour of edible gardens

There are a lot of garden walks that take visitors through beautifully manicured lawns and painstakingly grown flowers.

The Edible Garden Tour is a little different and is just what it’s name implies. The self-guided tours of gardens that yield a harvest of produce goodies are sponsored by Sugarbeet Co-op and Sugarbeet Schoolhouse. They’ll take place between 10 a.m and 3 p.m. on Saturday ( July 25). During the tours visitors can stop by 14 private gardens in Austin, Oak Park and River Forest.

This is a great way to get inspired, ask questions, find out more about urban agriculture. Just think of all the new ideas you’ll come away with for your own garden. Or, if you don’t have a garden, the Edible Garden Tour could help you figure out how to get one started.

Biking between gardens is encouraged, Children are welcome, but leave Spot home for the day. (You must register children as well as yourself.)

Boxed lunches (vegan, vegetarian or chicken) are available, but you must sign up for one when you register for the tour. You can do that here.

The hours are between 10 a.m and 3 p.m., but you can buy tickets and pick up the tour maps from 9:30 to 2.

While you are on the tour you’ll likely get to hear about the Sugarbeet Co-Op, which opens to the public on Friday, July 31. The co-op, which will focus on organic, local and sustainable foodstuffs, has been in the works for a couple years and the opening day finally is arriving, which is pretty cool.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sugarbeet Co-op