Join plantsman extraordinaire John O’Brien on Thursday, July 9 from 10 – 1:30 for a walking tour of his fabulous specialty nursery, O’Brien Nurserymen, located in Granby, Connecticut. View this exceptional collection of rare and beautifully grown specimens with a focus on dwarf conifers, Japanese maples and hundreds of hostas and other rare woodland perennials. There will be plenty to see in this meticulously maintained small-batch nursery, and John will devote the tour to teaching us the virtues of the many fabulous selections cultivated on his property. Following the tour there will be time to purchase plants. Then the group will head over to nearby Lost Acres Orchard. Lunch is available for purchase and includes a nice selection of homemade sandwiches and salads. Relax on the porch of the wonderful barn or wander through the orchard, sit in the shade and enjoy a wonderfully prepared lunch.

John O’Brien is owner of O’Brien Nurserymen, LLC, which has grown into New England’s premier hosta nursery. The extensive display gardens feature over 1,600 hosta varieties, as well as other shady characters, including asarums, pulmonarias, epimediums and arisaemas. The gardens also include a wide variety of unusual dwarf conifers and over 100 varieties of Japanese maples. Participants can choose to carpool or drive separately.Those joining the carpool should meet in the parking lot at Berkshire Botanical Garden for an 8:30 am departure. BBG members $40, nonmembers $50. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.