Those looking for inspiration need to look no further than Patchogue where the Garden Club sponsors its 24th Garden Tour on Saturday, July 11.
Four private gardens will be opened to folks from “far and wide” on this day, with tours running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to Tour Coordinator Paula Murphy.
“What makes them special is that the gardens are done by the gardeners themselves,” she said. “To see what’s behind the fences of the houses and the personalities that are reflected in the gardens is always fun.”
Other stops on the tour, she said, are the club’s Community Garden, located on South Ocean Avenue and Terry Street, and the village’s veggie and herb garden on Bay Avenue. The latter makes sure even apartment dwellers can busy their green thumbs and helps fortify local food pantries.
Tickets can be purchased at the club’s Community Garden on the day of the event starting at 9:30 a.m. The $25 price raises revenue to continue the club’s work and constitutes its only fundraiser, she said.
The Patchogue Garden Club turns 30 years old this year and its garden will reach that milestone in 2027. Started “from rubble” with the plants members themselves contributed, it has grown over the years with the benefit of additional land and grant monies.
The garden tour was born 24 years ago out of an appreciation for the beauty of Patchogue. “They (members) just felt that Patchogue had a lot of lovely gardens and it’s a unique community, 'Let’s have a garden tour,'” Murphy said.
With community support, she said, the club has only had to cancel once for a shortage of tour sites.
Advance tickets are discounted and can be purchased online at the Patchogue Foundation website or at physical locations detailed therein.