Here’s what’s in this special issue:
• 🧠 Cary Spotlight Connect: Growing Kindness In Cary
• 🏡 FAQs: Cary Garden Tour — Your Questions Answered
• 🏡 Community: Why the Cary Garden Tour Is Turning Heads This May
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Growing Kindness In Cary
Cary Spotlight Connect 🎧
Host: Dr. Chris Coetzer
Guest: Marie Martin, President of Mom's Valentine for You
Episode Summary
In this community-centered episode of Cary Spotlight Connect, Dr. Chris Coetzer welcomes Marie Martin, founder and president of Mom's Valentine for You to discuss the upcoming Cary Garden Tour and the charitable mission driving the event. Hosted in partnership with the Cary Woman’s Club, the tour will feature 13 beautiful gardens—including several private residential properties rarely open to the public.
Marie shares how proceeds from the event will support both organizations, including Mom's Valentine for You heartfelt initiative delivering Valentine floral arrangements to widows, seniors, and individuals who may feel isolated. Listeners will also hear how the tour offers gardening inspiration, local discovery, and a chance to connect with the Cary community in a meaningful and memorable way.
What You’ll Learn
How the Cary Garden Tour supports two local nonprofit organizations
The mission behind Mom's Valentine for You.
What attendees can expect from the featured private gardens
Why raised-bed gardening is becoming increasingly popular
How Cary homeowners adapt landscaping to local soil and terrain
The value of community volunteers and civic partnerships
Tips for making the most of the self-guided garden tour weekend
Memorable Quotes
“Some hidden gardens are being opened up for the first time.” — Marie Martin
“Last year, I’m proud to say that we did over 800 arrangements.” — Marie Martin
“People like to go and see how other people adapt their gardens.” — Marie Martin
“It’s just going to be a wonderful fun-filled weekend.” — Marie Martin
Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Cary Spotlight Connect
00:50 — Introduction to the Cary Garden Tour
01:40 — The mission behind MOM Wishing Widows Well
03:04 — Partnership with the Cary Woman’s Club
04:00 — What visitors can expect during the tour
06:00 — Gardening inspiration and raised-bed trends
07:28 — Homeowners sharing landscaping knowledge
10:44 — Why this first-time tour matters for Cary
12:11 — Discovering Cary through the gardens
13:22 — Tickets, lunch options, and event planning
15:54 — Carpooling and community experience
16:34 — Sponsors, appreciation, and final thoughts
Call to Action
Support two impactful local organizations while exploring some of Cary’s most unique and inspiring gardens. Purchase your tickets in advance, invite friends or family to join you, and enjoy a weekend celebrating community, creativity, and connection.
👉 Get Tickets & Event Details: www.carygardentour.org
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Cary Garden Tour — Your Questions Answered
We sat down with Marie, co-chair of the Cary Garden Tour, to cover a few important details before the big weekend. Here's what you need to know before you go.
Can I bring my pet on the tour? Plan to leave your furry friends at home. Most homeowners will have no-pet signs in their yards, as many of the gardens are confined spaces expecting a high volume of visitors. Your pet will probably be happier in the backyard anyway — especially in this heat!
When does the tour take place? The tour runs two days:
Saturday, May 30 — 10 AM to 5 PM
Sunday, May 31 — 1 PM to 5 PM
Where can I buy tickets? Tickets are available at Page Walker Arts & History Center, as well as at each individual garden location. Garden addresses will be posted on the website 48 hours before the event, so you can plan your route and parking in advance.
Where should I park? Page Walker has parking, and additional parking is available in downtown Cary, including behind Cary Elementary School. Check the tour map once it's posted online for the full picture.
Will there be water available? Yes! Each garden will have water available, and you'll receive a signature cup you can carry from stop to stop for refills.
Is lunch available? On Saturday only, Jason's Deli will be offering boxed lunches from 11 AM to 2 PM for $15. Order online in advance — and keep an eye out for a little surprise inside your lunch box.
Can I take photos in the gardens? Absolutely. All homeowners have given permission for visitors to photograph their gardens and flowers. Share your pics and tag Cary Spotlight — we'd love to feature them!
Can I talk to the homeowners about their gardens? Yes! Most homeowners will be present and happy to answer questions about what grows well in the Cary climate and soil. It's a great opportunity to pick up ideas for your own garden.
Question: Where is the best place to park to start the tour?
• For the Downtown Cary gardens, the easiest parking options are the parking lot at Cary Elementary School or the Cary Arts Center. You can also find street parking near Page Street and around Heather Park.
• For the South Cary gardens, parking is mainly available on the streets near each garden address.
⚠️ Some downtown garden areas may get congested, so arriving earlier in the day is a smart move.
Call to Action
Support two impactful local organizations while exploring some of Cary’s most unique and inspiring gardens. Purchase your tickets in advance, invite friends or family to join you, and enjoy a weekend celebrating community, creativity, and connection.
👉 Get Tickets & Event Details: www.carygardentour.org
Want your event featured like this?
We help local events get seen by thousands of Cary residents before they happen.
If you have questions about advertising, email: [email protected]
Why the Cary Garden Tour Is Turning Heads This May
The Cary Garden Tour takes place May 30-31, 2026, across 13 private and public gardens in Downtown Cary and South Cary, NC.
Most weekends in Cary fill up fast - this one is worth planning around. This spring, 13 private and public gardens across Downtown Cary and South Cary are opening their gates for just two days - including some that have not been open to the public in years. If you have ever driven past a beautiful yard and wondered what was growing behind the hedge, this weekend gives you a reason to find out.
Ready to explore? Find tickets and the full garden map here:
The Cary Garden Tour is co-chaired by Wendy Payne of the Cary Woman's Club and Marie Martin, founder of MOM's Valentine for You. The two organizations joined forces to put on what is the first garden tour of its kind for both groups. Every dollar raised is split equally between them.
📢 In Their Own Words
"The Cary Garden Tour offers a unique opportunity to see some of the best private gardens in Cary" - Wendy Payne
"We work hard all year just to make sure widows, shut-ins and other lonely people are noticed on Valentine's Day." - Marie Martin
More Than a Garden Tour
What you will find inside these gardens is more varied than you might expect. The tour includes pollinator gardens, raised vegetable beds, terraced landscapes, and properties featuring solar technology. Some belong to well-known Cary residents. Others have simply not been open to the public in a very long time.
The tour is a natural fit for gardeners looking for local inspiration - especially newer residents still learning what thrives in this area. But it is also a way to explore two of Cary's most active neighborhoods on foot, at your own pace, over a full weekend.
The two organizations behind the tour each have deep roots in the community. "The Cary Garden Tour offers a unique opportunity to see some of the best private gardens in Cary," says Co-Chair Wendy Payne. Marie Martin, who co-chairs the tour and founded MOM's Valentine for You, adds: "We work hard all year just to make sure widows, shut-ins and other lonely people are noticed on Valentine's Day."
Event Details
Date: Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31, 2026
Time: Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. / Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: 13 gardens across Downtown Cary and South Cary, NC - including Page Walker Arts and History Center. Full garden map released at carygardentour.org approximately 72 hours before the event.
Tickets / Registration: $30 per adult - children under 18 are free. Purchase in advance at carygardentour.org.
Tickets also available on-site at any garden location. An optional pre-ordered box lunch from Jason's Deli is available for $15, with pickup at Page Walker.
Your ticket covers both days, so you can spread the tour across the weekend at your own pace. Page Walker is garden stop number 13 and will also feature classic cars - including antiques and Corvettes - plus plein air artists working throughout the weekend.
Why should Cary support this event?
The Cary Woman's Club has been serving the Cary community for 90 years, with recent projects including the Page-Walker Pollinator Garden, Oxford House, and The Carying Place. MOM's Valentine for You delivered more than 800 flower arrangements to lonely and homebound residents in 2026, with sponsors Holly Payne Strange, Kelly Cook Realty, Glen Air, and For Garden Sake making this garden tour possible.
By participating in our tour you are pivotal in helping the programs of our two local 501c3 groups. We appreciate you and hope that you will enjoy this Cary wide garden and classic car tour.
Question: Where is the best place to park to start the tour?
Answer:
• For the Downtown Cary gardens, the easiest parking options are the parking lot at Cary Elementary School or the Cary Arts Center. You can also find street parking near Page Street and around Heather Park.
• For the South Cary gardens, parking is mainly available on the streets near each garden address.
⚠️ Some downtown garden areas may get congested, so arriving earlier in the day is a smart move.
Want your event featured like this?
We help local events get seen by thousands of Cary residents before they happen.
Every month, Cary Spotlight features a handful of local events - turning them into stories that thousands of residents actually read. If you have an upcoming event, we'd love to hear about it.
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