North Stonington — This weekend locals will have the chance to pick up some gardening tips and tour several of the gardens, barns and landscapes that have made the area a rural refuge.

Come rain or shine, the Blooms and Barns Tour of North Stonington will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $25 ahead of the event, or $30 at the start of the tour, and all proceeds from the event benefit Wheeler Library.

The tour, which includes 11 properties throughout the town and begins with a morning market at the library, will showcase stunning gardens, barns and landscape views, and will include a visit to a seldom-open gardens and private antique carriage museum owned by Fields of Dreams owner Michael Ward.

The carriage exhibit, which is housed in an Amish-style barn, boasts a large and varied collection that includes a handful of Abbot and Dunning Wells Fargo carriages with striking red and gold palettes, as well as a Washington Landaulet. The Landaulet is the only carriage with an adjustable seat and was used by public figures in formal processions that included Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession in Washington, D.C.

On the tour, visitors will be treated to impressive gardens boasting a variety of styles and flowers, including lilacs, crepe myrtles, lavender, dahlias, snapdragons, sunflowers and peonies. The morning lawn market that kicks off the event will feature heirloom tomato plants, locally produced goods, perennials and soil testing.

A locally sourced lunch also is slated for later in the day. However, the luncheon already has sold out.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit wheelerlibrary.org/bloomsandbarns. The library is located at 101 Main St. in North Stonington.

c.clark@theday.com