A great way to start or enhance your garden is to get ideas from other people’s gardens, but if you don’t have friends who have great gardens, how do you do this? When you see what looks like a nice garden peeking out from behind someone’s house, sneaking into their yard or knocking on their front door may not be the best way. A great way to get garden ideas is to go on the Secret Gardens Tour. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can spend the day just viewing nature’s beauty.
This year’s Secret Gardens Tour will be held on Saturday, July 12. The tour, now in its tenth year, will showcase six gardens in the Saugerties area. Well over 350 people who went on last year’s tour discovered secret gardens at private homes. The tour attracts gardeners and outdoor lovers from all over, who are often surprised to find such imaginative uses of outdoor space. Each of the gardens on this year’s tour is unique and displays the creative and original style of the owner. Participants will spend the day viewing nature’s beauty, while getting ideas for their own gardens.
The tour is an annual fundraising event. Proceeds from this year’s tour will benefit the Boys & Girls Club and the Ulster County SPCA.
To celebrate the tour’s tenth anniversary there will be a scavenger hunt during the tour. Participants will enter at end of the tour and can win great prizes.
For those concerned that the tour is the same weekend as the big concert in Saugerties, the Saugerties Police Chief has said that this is not expected to affect the tour.
People on the tour often ask where they can stop for lunch. This year’s tour will go right past the Saugerties Farmers’ Market. Tour organizers have arranged with the Market to provide a special lunch for the garden tour.
The tour will be held on Saturday, July 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets on the day of the tour will be $30 at 201 Washington Ave., between 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Torrential rain date is July 13. For additional information call 246-0710.
Join the family! 
