Spring and Summer in New England 2011
Massachusetts
CAPE COD RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL
(May 21-30)
Heritage Museum & Gardens, 67 Grove Street, Sandwich, MA
Visit Heritage Museums & Gardens for a celebration of rhododendrons during prime bloom time. This ten-day festival will kick off on Saturday, May 21 with cooking demonstrations by Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS series Ciao Italia. Also featured throughout the festival are book signings by renowned chefs, horticultural walking tours, a plant sale, photography and plein air painting workshops, and horticulture lectures.
Info: (508)888-3300 or info@heritagemuseums.org
GARDEN AFFIARS – 22ND ANNUAL GARDEN TOUR
(June 3rd and 4th, 9:00AM – 4:00PM each day)
The Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Road, Concord, MA
The Garden Tour will take place on two days, Friday and Saturday – rain or shine. Each of the nine private gardens reflects the individual interests and passions of the owners and their families and will inspire both new gardeners designing their first perennial bed and accomplished landscapers with acres of ‘garden rooms.’ The tour of the Concord-area gardens is self-guided and self-paced, beginning at the Museum to pickup maps prior to starting out. Tickets are good for either or both days, but each garden may be visited only once.
Tickets: Advance Tickets (through 27) $26.00 Members, $32.00 Nonmembers. After May 27th or at the door $32.00 Members, $38.00 Nonmembers. No refunds, no photography.
Info: (978)369-9763 or www.concordmuseum.org
TOWER HILL SPRING PLANT SALE
(June 4, 10:00AM-3:00PM)
Tower Hill Botanical Garden, Boylston, MA
Annual Plant Sale including purveyors of plants and society groups. NEHS members (must have attended at least 2 meetings) welcome to sell hosta and companion plants. A fun day to sell and buy.
Contact: Email Sue Anderson for more information
NEWBURYPORT ANNUAL GARDEN TOUR
(June 11th – 12th 10:00AM to 4:00PM)
Cushinghouse Garden, 98 High Street, Newburyport, MA
Tickets: $20.00 in advance, $25.00 after June 1st, Children under 12 are free of charge
Info: (978)462-2681 or www.newburyportgardenclub.com
GRAFTON HISTORIC HOMES AND GARDENS TOUR
(June 12th, 12:00 Noon – 5:00PM)
Grafton, MA
Begin your tour at the Historic Grafton Common and either exchange your pre-paid ticket or pay for your tour and pick up your booklet that includes full-color photos, information, and maps to the homes and gardens. At each house, hear about the historical significance of the home or about the unique characteristics of the home and gardens.
Tickets: $15.00 in advance, $20.00 day of tour, per person
Info: www.graftongardenclub.org or email Helen Glazis
18th ANNUAL SOUTH END GARDEN TOUR
(June 19th, 10:00AM – 4:00PM)
Boston Center For the Arts - Start Point, 539 Tremont Street
This year’s rain-or-shine, self-guided tour will kick off at the Boston Center For the Arts. The tour will feature many beautiful, diverse gardens in the South End – from pocket-sized patio spaces to rooftop terraces to neighborhood parks and Land Trust community gardens. The 2011 South End Garden Tour will feature private and open space gardens within the following area: Columbus Ave to Berkeley St to Tremont St to West Canton St and including Montgomery Park
New This year: Artists In the Garden! A select group of local artists will create works of art while stationed in tour gardens. Offered for sale at a reception immediately following the tour. Proceeds of the Tour benefit the South End/Lower Roxbury Open Space Land Trust, a non-profit organization supporting local community gardens and open spaces.
Tickets: $20.00 in advance, $25.00 day of the tour.
Info: www.southendgardentour.org for locations to purchase tickets in advance
AMERICAN HOST SOCITY CONVENTION – 'HOSTAS AND HERITAGE'
(June 22nd-25th)
Best Western Royal Hotel and Trade Center, Marlborough, MA
Garden tours, an impressive list of speakers, classes, new introductions, auctions, Hosta Show, etc. Check web site for lots of ideas and events… Find out about events at the Show.
Info: www.hosta2011.org
NEHS SUMMER GARDEN TOUR & PICNIC
(July 30th - 11:00AM – 3:00PM)
Tour members’ gardens in the Holliston, MA area. Society picnic and plant sale. Great gardens (hosta and perennial beds), food and fun. Relax and unwind after the convention! New members welcome. Sponsored by the New England Horticultural Society.
Info: www.masshort.org
HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE BERKSHIRE
(July 9th 10:00AM – 4:00PM Rain or Shine!)
Stockbridge, MA
This tour is a self guided tour of five outstanding properties in the charming Berkshire towns of Richmond and West Stockbridge conducted by the Lenox Garden Club. This is the 21st annual garden tour.
Tickets: $35.00 in advance, $40.00 on the day of the tour. Box lunches are @20.00 and must be ordered by July 3rd
Info: www.lenoxgardenclub.net for more information on the tour
NANTUCKET ANNUAL HOUSE & GARDEN TOUR
(August 10th 11:00AM – 4:30PM)
Nantucket, MA
(508) 228-0925 Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce or (508) 228-7526 Summer and (781) 334-6639 Winter – Paulette Boling, Club President
Email Paulette H. Boling for more info on event
New York
ROCHESTER LILAC FESTIVAL
(May 13th -22nd)
Rochester, NY
Lilacs have bloomed in Highland Park since 1982, and Rochester’s famous spring festival offers an opportunity to see more than 500 varieties of lilacs in bloom. This free annual festival also features music including performance by recording artists, children’s activities, a parade, an art show, international food vendors, plant sales, ad more.
Info: (800) 677-7282 or lilacfestival@gmail.com
PORTSMOUTH POCKET GARDEN TOUR
(June 17th- 5:00PM – 8:00PM and June 18th 9:00AM to 3:00PM)
Portsmouth Historic South End, Portsmouth, NH
The gardens on the tour are a study in contrasts, from expansive, professionally landscaped gardens to lovingly tended works in progress.
Tickets: $17.00 in advance, $20.00 days of the tour. Tickets available at Portsmouth Flower and Garden, Stratham Circle Nursery
Info: (603)436-4762 or www.southchurch-uu.org for more information on tour and purchasing tickets
Maine
LUPINE FESTIVAL
(June 17th-19th)
Deer Isle, ME
Lupines provide a backdrop of rich color for a weekend of activities in Down East Maine including a craft fair, boat excursions, scenic plane rides, a quilt show, garden tours, children’s activities, and more.
Details: (207) 348-6124
Info: www.deerisle.com/calendar
PRIVATE GARDENS OF KENNEBUNK
(July 16th 10:00AM – 4:00PM)
Kennebunk, ME
Tour eight lovely gardens throughout Kennebunk and Kennebunkport
Tickets: $15.00 in advance before July 1st, $20.00 July 1st through day of event
Info: (207) 985-5975 or events@kidsfreetogrow.org (Denise Dion-Sullivan, Community Outreach Coordinator)
New Hampshire
FIELD OF LUPINE FESTIVAL
(June 3rd-9th)
Franconia and surrounding towns, New Hampshire
Gorgeous purple and pink lupines in bloom are reason enough to visit New Hampshire’s Franconia region each June. The 19th annual Fields of Lupine Festival includes special tours, arts events, concerts, and more.
Info: (603)823-5661 or www.franconianotch.org
NEW CASTLE GARDEN TOUR
(June 12th 1:00AM – 4:30PM)
Portsmouth, NH
Visit a variety of exquisite gardens in Pontine Theatre’s annual New Castle Village Walk and Garden Tour. ‘Gardens are bursting with flowers and fragrance at this time of year, said Marguerite Mathews, co-director of Pontine Theatre. Meander the gardens filled with marigolds, columbines, ad stop to admire the seaside view. The tours are self-guided and take visitors through the quaint seaside town and seven private gardens.
Tickets: $15.00 in advance, tickets available at other areas throughout Portsmouth
Info: www.pontine.org for advance tickets and info on the tour.
Connecticut
GARDENS BY THE SEA
(June 10th-11th 10:00AM – 4:00PM)
The Stonington Garden Club, Stonington, CT
Tickets: Available $25.00 in advance ($30.00 on the day of the tour). Tickets valid either day. Brochures available on the web site or by mail
Email/Info: www.stonington-gardenclub.org or stontingtongardentour@gmail.com (be on the mailing list or receive a brochure by mail)
GUILFORD SECRET GARDEN TOUR
(June 11th 10:00AM – 4:00PM Rain or Shine!)
Guilford Green, off of Route 1, Guilford, CT
This year’s garden tour features six gardens, all within walking distance of the Guilford Green and two workshops at the Medad StoneTavern which will provide wonderful insights into your gardening endeavors. In addition, two of the gardens will have their kitchens open to enhance your experience of the gardens.
Tickets: $20.00 on the day of the tour, discounted advance tickets $15.00 available through Pay Pal by visiting the web site and picked up at the Will Call Table located at the top of the Green
Contact: (203)453-0233 or email ABCguilford@gmail.com
ROSE WEEKEND
(June 18th-20th)
Elizabeth Park – Hartford, CT
Rose Weekend has been held annually for more than a century in Hartford, CT at Elizabeth Park, the nation’s oldest municipal rose garden.
Info: (860)231-9443 or www.elizabethpark.org
IN BLOOM: MOUNTAIN LAUREL AND THE LYME ART COLONY
(May 6th-June 26th)
Florence Griswold Museum – Old Lyme, CT
Celebrate the motif of mountain laurel in Lyme Art Colony paintings. Artists flocked to Old Lyme each June to record the ephemeral pink and white blossoms, helping to make the subject a signature of the colony. The exhibition coincides with southern CT’s laurel season and a garden festival highlighting the laurel plantings recently reintroduced onto the museum’s grounds.
20TH ANNUAL HIDDEN GARDEN TOUR
(June 12th, Tour - 10:00AM – 5:00PM)
Garden Marketplace on Veteran’s Green 9:00AM – 5:00PM)
Westport Historical Society, Westport, CT
Garden choices feature farmhouses, barns and, in all their glory – the nemesis of early farmers, but a cherished decorative and functional element of today’s Connecticut gardens – fieldstone. The Westport Gardens are a bonus stop.
Tickets: $35.00 WHS members, $45.00 nonmembers, $50.00 cay of tour). Tickets may be picked up at the WHS, beginning at 9:00AM, June 12th.)
Info: www.westporthistory.org
Rhode Island
KINNEY AZALEA GARDENS
(May1st-31st)
2391 Kingston Road, Kingston, RI 02881
Wander through six acres featuring over 500 varieties of azaleas and rhododendrons. Peak flowering is mid-May through June. This year’s tea is scheduled for May 23. FREE and open to all.
Info: (401) 783-2396 or (401) 782-8847 or www.kinneyazaleagardens.com
NEWPORT FLOWER SHOW
(June 24th-26th
Rosecliff Mansion, Newport, RI
The Newport Flower Show is pleased to celebrate its 16th year as America’s premier summer flower show, held on historic grounds of Rosecliff. Entertaining, Newport Style will welcome visitors with grace and sophistication as unique as the city herself. Of great interest is the fact that estate gardeners of Newport came together in 1890 to form a horticultural society and presented the firs of Newport’s organized flower shows. This year’s show pays homage to these horticultural artists with a class offered specifically for the current estate gardeners of Newport. Opening Night Party will launch the summer season in Newport with a cocktail buffet, live music and other surprises.
Info: www.newportmansions.org
Vermont
CELEBRATION OF PEONIES
(Late May-June 15th)
Hildene – The Lincoln Family Home and Estate, 1005 Hildene Road, Manchester, VT
Hildene is a beautiful Georgian Revival mansion build by Robert Todd Lincoln, son of America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. With its beautiful gardens, the hillside estate offers breathtaking views of southern Vermont. Weather permitting, the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June signal the beginning of the season when the Formal Garden comes to life with thousands of peony blooms; many of them from the original 1907 plants.
Info: (800) 578-1788 or info@hildene.org
Around the Country
Each state has guided botanical tours. If you plan to visit a certain area, check online for guided garden tours, historic homes with noteworthy private gardens, botanical gardens and specialty gardens. Also look for local nurseries and garden centers that often have their own display gardens.
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta, GA | (404) 876-5859
www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn, NY | (718) 623-7200
Guided tours free with admission. Weekends @ 1PM, no reservations needed. Group tours offered with reservation.
www.bbg.org
Monticello
Charlottesville, VA | April 1st - October 31st | (434) 984-9822
Guided tours of Thomas Jefferson's restored flower and vegetable gardens, tree grove and fruit orchards.
www.monticello.org
Chicago Botanic Garden
Glencoe, IL | (847) 835-5440
Spring garden walks, walking tours, group tours and special events.
www.chicagobotanic.org
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum
San Francisco, CA | (415) 661-1316
Daily tours and family walks (free with admission).
www.sfbotanicalgarden.org
Gardens to Visit
Massachusetts
Arnold Arboretum
The Arborway | Jamaica Plain, MA | (617) 524-1718
Garden in the Woods
New England Wildflower Society | Framingham, MA | (508) 877-6574
www.newfs.org
Lyman Estate and Greenhouses
185 Lyman Street | Waltham, MA | (617) 893-7232
Newbury Perennial Gardens & Nursery
65 Orchard Street | Byfield, MA | (978) 462-1144
24 beautiful display gardens spread over 16 acres, a garden shop, and a large selection of perennials, annuals, herb, shrubs, trees, garden accessories, and more...
www.newburyperennialgardens.com
Tower Hill Botanic Garden
11 French Drive | Boylston, MA | (413) 869-6111
Tranquil Lake Nursery
45 River Street | Rehoboth, MA | (508) 252-4002
Incredible display gardens for daylilies and irises, and other display gardens.
Connecticut
Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center
10 Deerfield Lane | Ansonia, CT | (203) 736-9360
104 acre nature preserve, with several gardens featuring ferns and wildflowers, a hummingbird and butterfly garden, and over two miles of trails.
Sundial Gardens
Brault Hill Road Extension | Higganum, CT | (860) 345-4290
Classical and Victorian historical gardens with a 17th century knot garden, herb gardens and a tea room serving traditional afternoon tea.
Elizabeth Rose Park Gardens
Prospect Avenue | Hartford, CT | (860) 722-6514
Home to the first municipal rose garden planted in the United States. Roses are in peak bloom in June.
Glebe House and Gertrude Jekyll Garden
Hollow Road | Woodbury, CT | (203) 263-2855
The only Gertrude Jekyll garden in existence in the US.
Maine
Asticou Azalea Garden
Seal Harbor, ME
A 2.3 acre garden, created by created to preserve the plants from the Beatrix Farrand estate, displays over 20 varieties of azaleas in a beautiful setting including a stream, an iris-bordered pond, and a Japanese meditation garden.
www.asticou.com
Beatrix Farrand Garden at College of the Atlantic
Bar Harbor, ME | (207) 288-5015
Beautiful restored garden designed by Beatrix Farrand.
Thuya Lodge and Gardens/Asticou Terraces
Mount Desert Island, ME | (207) 276-5130
A 1.5 acre garden with two long color arranged beautiful perennial borders surrounded by woodland. 110 varieties over the 128 foot length.
New Hampshire
The Fells - John Hay National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Sunapee
Newbury, NH | (603) 763-4789
A 20th-century summer estate, with a 100-foot perennial border, rose terrace, a brook that trickles to a Japanese water lily pool, a hillside rock garden with an incredible collection of alpine and native plants, a secret garden, and more...
www.thefells.org
Rhododendron State Park
Fitzwilliam, NH | (603) 632-8862
Over 16 acres of wild rhododendrons, paths and trails with great views of the plants and the mountains beyond the park.
Rhode Island
Blithewold Mansion and Gardens
Bristol, RI
Property features gardens and an arboretum on 33 acres overlooking Narragansett Bay.
Green Animals Topiary Gardens
Portsmouth, RI
The gardens have over 6 dozen trees and shrubs groomed and sculpted. Some have the shape of animals. The garden also features fruit trees, flower beds and a rose arbor.
Roger Williams Park
Providence, RI | (401) 785-9450
430 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, a carousel, and historic buildings.
Wilcox Park
Westerly, RI | (401) 596-8590
A turn of the century park featuring dozens of specimen trees, shrubs, and flower beds; along with a pond, fountain and monuments. The park also has a dwarf conifer collection, and a variety of daylilies and perennials.
Vermont
Little Siberia Perennials
Granville, VT
A nursery set high, dry, and windswept in Vermont's High Mountain area. The 25 sweeping display gardens float with color and display a collection of 950 varieties of hardy ornamentals that not only survive but thrive and flourish in this severe climate from frost to frost.
All About Gardens
Bostongardens.com
All kinds of information on garden events, exhibits, courses, links, etc.
ILoveGardens.com
A treasury of information on glorious public and private gardens for garden lovers to visit.