Nothing says summer like a picnic in a beautiful garden — and you can start your summer rolling with “A Picnic Lunch at Blendon Hall”!

Spend a lovely day on a spectacular 16-acre estate in Lyme designed in 1902 by architect Charles Platt. Meet Lily Gamboa O’Boyle, a native of the Philippines and author of the book Tropical Plants in the Philippines, who will share her horticultural expertise in a multimedia presentation. Afterwards, enjoy a catered boxed lunch amid the gardens and explore the grounds, which include a traditional English-style maze, a sunken garden, a bamboo grove, an herb garden, a boxwood parterre, a rose garden, and commanding views of the Connecticut River.

A Picnic Lunch at Blendon Hall takes place on Friday June 15, 2012, from 11am to 2pm, at a private estate in Lyme, Connecticut. (Directions will be provided with tickets.) Space is limited to this event, and tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets are $50, and may be obtained by mailing a check to P.O. Box 324, Old Lyme, CT 06371 (include name, address, phone, email). Questions? Call 860-443-2896, ext 901; or email: lymegardentour@sbcglobal.net.

A Picnic Lunch at Blendon Hall is presented by the Lyme/Old Lyme Auxiliary of Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, who bring you the Lyme/Old Lyme Garden Tour every other year. (The next Lyme/Old Lyme Garden Tour will take place next year, in June 2013.) Meanwhile, with this year’s Picnic Lunch at Blendon Hall, you can satisfy your craving for gardens and help children and families at the same time!

Proceeds from A Picnic Lunch at Blendon Hall benefit the programs and capital projects of Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping at-risk children in the context of their families. With a staff of 172 dedicated professionals and a service area covering 79 towns in New London, Middlesex, and New Haven counties, Child & Family Agency is the largest private, nonprofit children's service provider in southeastern Connecticut. In 2011 more than 17,000 children and their families received services from Child & Family Agency. Find out more at www.childandfamily.com.