Photos provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On June 23 the Garden Conservancy is sponsoring their first ever Open Days event where five gardens in the Saratoga area will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The mission of the Garden Conservancy is to save and share American gardens for the education and inspiration of the public. Through Open Days, the Garden Conservancy is working to fuel the public’s passion for gardens and gardening.
“We’re honored to be included in the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program,” Ted Collins said.
Collins and his wife Susan’s garden at 339 Clinton Street will be showcased on the tour. Their garden also made an appearance in Janet Loughrey’s book “Saratoga in Bloom,” a book capturing 150 years of gardens in Saratoga. The book includes scenes from the Saratoga Race Course and Skidmore College.
“We have been on the local Secret Garden tour in the past and are looking forward to sharing our hard work with horticulturists, gardeners and the public. We’re using this national exposure as motivation to finish some projects and get the landscape looking as nice as possible,” Collins said.
Since 1995, Open Days has brought more than one million visitors into thousands of private landscapes in 41 states. This annual program showcases regional horticultural and stylistic expressions in a national context celebrating the rich diversity in American gardens.
Other stops on the tour include:
• Sarah Patterson’s garden 65 Central Avenue, Saratoga Springs
• Jim and Meg Dalton’s garden 284 Middle Grove Road, Middle Grove
•Fiddle-i-fee-Farm 167 West River Road, Schuylerville
• Shades of Green
2036 Cook Road, Charlton. The public is invited to join shade garden expert, Wynne Trowbridge, at Shades of Green at 2:30 p.m. for a “Digging Deeper” program to explore her garden and the extensive plant collection that inspired her to start a small nursery specializing in shade plants.
Admission to each garden is $7. To find out more or purchase tickets call 845-424-6500.