The Garden Conservancy will host an Open Day in East Providence, Rhode Island on September 18 from 10 – 4.

Tucked into a lot on Bullocks Cove, adjacent to the East Bay bike path, this Native Coastal garden is a wildlife refuge. Where a parking lot once met the cove, a rain garden edged by a sand dune now slopes to a little beach and a native buffer. Phragmites have been replaced by cordgrass and high-tide bush.

But there is more. A roof garden with a little dune and prickly pear cactus. Another rain garden that collects water from the street to support swamp azalea. A small rectangular fishpond set into the only formal lawn serves as a dooryard, and creates privacy for a terrace below. The garden is a haven for people, birds, and insects that could not have been sustained by a parking lot.

Conservancy members $5, general admission $10.

• Pre-registration is REQUIRED for each garden. Pre-register for each on this website, except where specifically indicated otherwise. Children under 12 are free and do not need to be pre-registered if accompanied by pre-registered adult.
• Capacity is limited. Sorry, no walk-ins allowed; no paper tickets or cash payments will be accepted on-site.
• Masks are required, at the discretion of the garden owners, and social distancing is encouraged at all in-person events.

Register at https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/garden-directory/native-coastal-garden