Secret Gardens

For a gardener, there is something enticing about a “secret garden” … those home gardens that you might catch a small but inviting glimpse of an arbor, the turn of stone path, a flower bed alive with color.   For us avid gardeners, it takes every ounce of restraint not to edge in and take a closer peek.

The best way to indulge the voyeuristic gardener in us – and to get new ideas for your own garden – is to go on a garden tour. The most popular garden tour in the Monadnock Region is the annual Secret Gardens of Keene.

The Secret Gardens of Keene tour, hosted by the Cheshire Housing Trust, is held this year (rain or shine) on June 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour is actually a successful fundraiser for the nonprofit organization to support its mission to provide affordable housing for moderate- to low-income families (the Cheshire Housing Trust runs 63 affordable apartments or rooms in Keene, Marlborough and Hinsdale).

Each year the tour features new gardens throughout Keene – from traditional landscapes to more eclectic gardening styles. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $12 each at various locations throughout the region, or purchased at the day of the tour for $15 at Ashuelot River Park (273 West Street in Keene).

Once the Secret Gardens of Keene tour day is over, make sure you mark your calendar for The Garden Conservancy’s “Open Days” which will be held twice this year in the Monadnock Region.

The Garden Conservancy’s Monadnock Region Open Days:

• June 30, 2012, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A tour of four exquisite private family gardens in Peterborough, Harrisville and Nelson. 
• July 1, 2012, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tour includes gardens in Walpole, Alstead Center and nearby Wilmington, Vt.

Here are some tips for attending a garden tour:

• Stay on the paths. Don’t ever wander into a garden bed.
• Never take any seeds, seedlings or plants without permission.
• Don’t stop in the middle of the pathway – if you want to linger to admire a plant or take photographs let other visitors pass you.
• Don’t go into any roped off areas for any reason.
• Carpool to each location with friends in order to reduce traffic and pollution.
• Thank the host at each stop – it is a lot of work getting a garden ready to be viewed by the general public.

The best way to enjoy a garden tour is with your family or a group of friends. If you are from outside the Monadnock Region, book an overnight stay at a B&B or inn to get an early jump on the tour; and take a break during the middle of the day with lunch at one of the many Monadnock Region’s restaurants.