In other parts of the country, you’d have to pay $20 to go on a garden tour, where you might see 15 gardens in a single weekend.
In Western New York, for a donation of $5, you get a gorgeous book listing more than 70 landscapes that you can visit during Open Gardens. These are held on Thursdays or Fridays for not just one week, but throughout the month of July!
Many of these gardens aren’t on any other garden walk.
What’s especially nice about Open Gardens is that the yards aren’t as crowded as they are during a garden walk. You have an opportunity to linger and ask the gardener questions or take photos without having people walk into your shot.
These are some of the best private gardens in Western New, organized into 12 geographic groups to help you make the most of your time.
If you have never gone to Open Gardens before, take a vacation day and be a tourist in your region. And if you always go to Open Gardens, note that there are some new gardens again this year waiting for you to explore.
See a list of the local retailers who are selling the book here.