To experience ‘Real Gardens,’ take a July 8 tour of Amenia

AMENIA — After three years of pandemic pause, the Amenia Garden Club is back in floral action with its much-anticipated annual tour of local garden showplaces. This year’s theme is “Real Gardens of Amenia.” The event has been a community favorite for more than 25 years.

The event will be held on Saturday, July 8, rain or shine. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

New to the tour this year is the Wassaic garden created by Nancy Link in the heart of the village between Old Route 22 and a steep hill. Veteran garden tour participant Maxine Paetro is ready to show off her cottage garden in bloom at Broccoli Hall. Garden Club Board member Andy Durbridge is welcoming visitors to his small orchard, display of perennials and grasses, seasonal containers, and more.

Garden Club President Ken Monteiro and Leo Blackman will be showing their Neverest garden, where they have intentionally and artfully replaced established invasives with native plantings. Visitors will notice how they are doing it with visible success.

Teeniepaw Cottage and its garden, tended by Emily Fuller, features native plants and lots of pollinator flowers that bloom all summer and attract bees and other beneficial winged beings.

Always a favorite stop on the tour, Garden Club board member Paul Arcario will welcome guests to Jade Hill, a renowned garden on a steep slope that offers water features and even a pagoda.

In addition to the annual garden tour, the Garden Club’s volunteers are responsible for a variety of community projects, including the restoration and maintenance of Borden Park in Wassaic.

Tickets for the Garden Tour are $20 and may be purchased through the Amenia Garden Club website at www.ameniagardens.org