A Secret Garden Tour on Sunday, June 14, will visit seven gardens in the Town of Saugerties, including two public gardens and five rarely seen private gardens, some hidden behind stone walls and others down long private driveways.
The self-guided tour will begin at the Kiersted House, home of the Saugerties Historical Society. Ticket holders who have signed up in advance, as well as those who still need tickets, can register starting at 10 a.m. and pick up a brochure with the addresses of all the gardens. Ticket holders can visit the gardens in any order. The tour ends at 4 p.m.
The tour was the idea of Saugerties resident Mark Smith, chair of the Saugerties Chamber of Commerce. Smith is also a former board member of the Saugerties Historical Society and continues to volunteer for the organization.
“In the morning I wake up and all these ideas go through my head,” he said.
One of those ideas was to revive the garden tours that had been held before the pandemic interrupted many community events.
Smith floated the idea to friends and acquaintances who garden. He recalled a beautiful garden at a home where a harvest dinner benefiting the farmers market had been held. He also asked people to recommend gardens he might not know about. When he called the final list of people to ask whether they would open their gardens for the tour, only two declined, saying the harsh winter had been too hard on their gardens. The others accepted.
It’s a lot of work to prepare a garden for a tour, said Barbara Bravo, who has been certified as a Master Gardener by Cornell Cooperative Extension for the past 20 years.
The two public gardens on the tour have staff, making it easier to devote the time needed to keep them ready for public viewing. One is planted in a more formal style than a private garden can usually manage. The other is new to the public; formerly a private garden, it opened to visitors only in the past few years.
Most of the gardens on the tour are so secluded, Bravo said, that “you could be driving by these places constantly and you don’t even know they’re there.”
Bravo said that despite the unusually frigid winter, many garden plants had grown back more vigorously than ever this spring. The large amount of winter snow allowed moisture to soak deep into the soil, benefiting plants.
“From lush cottage gardens and shaded woodland paths,” Smith said, “to vibrant flower beds and peaceful backyard retreats, the tour promises a rare glimpse into some of the town’s hidden horticultural treasures.”
Each of the gardens, scattered throughout the Town of Saugerties, has its own character.
One private garden, for example, is a mature garden with 10 different garden spaces. Most are shaded by trees and feature understory shrubs like viburnum and shade-loving perennials like hostas. When a large tree had to be removed recently, it opened three of the 10 spaces to full sun.
New plantings in the sunny gardens include Major Wheeler coral honeysuckle to attract hummingbirds, brilliant red Jacob Klein monarda, gayfeather, salvia, and catmint. Wild violets covering the ground under peonies serve as host plants for fritillary butterflies, often seen fluttering through the garden. Other butterflies that visit include black swallowtails and tiger swallowtails.
Ticket fees benefit the Saugerties Historical Society, whose funding needs include upkeep on the 1727 Kiersted House, where the slate roof needs costly repairs. The society receives rental income from the reconstructed barn on its property, which can be reserved for events, though costs for insurance and utilities have outpaced income. Proceeds from the Secret Garden Tour will help cover the additional expenses.
Tickets for the Secret Garden Tour are available in advance for $25 at three Saugerties businesses: Dancing Tulip Floral Boutique, 114 Partition St.; P.C. Smith & Son Hardware, 227 Main St.; and Town & Country Liquors, 330 state Route 212.
Tickets can also be purchased on June 14, the day of the tour, for $30 at the Kiersted House, 119 Main St. in Saugerties.
Margaret Tomlinson is a contributing writer. You can send her an email at reporting@theoverlooknews.com.
