LAKEVILLE, Conn.—Trade Secrets, Northwest Connecticut’s premier garden tour and rare plant sale will celebrate its 26th year Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17.
The annual fundraiser is hosted by Project SAGE, a nonprofit domestic violence prevention agency serving Northwest Connecticut and surrounding communities in New York and Massachusetts.
“The support behind Trade Secrets has always been meaningful, but the need for our services continues to grow,” said Kristen van Ginhoven, executive director of Project SAGE. “This event helps ensure that Project SAGE can meet that need with care, responsiveness and critical support.”
Over the decades, Trade Secrets has raised more than $5 million for the program, which was previously known as Women’s Support Services.
The weekend begins on Saturday, May 16, with exclusive garden tours showcasing some of the region’s most exceptional private landscapes.
On Sunday, May 17, the Rare Plants & Garden Antiques Sale returns to Lime Rock Park, 60 White Hollow Rd., in Lakeville, where guests can find rare plants, garden antiques and decorative arts from leading growers and dealers across the country.
Among the gardens on view this year is the elegant Falls Village landscape created by renowned designer Bunny Williams and John Rosselli. The 12-acre estate surrounds an 1840s Federal home, and features woodland paths, a sunken perennial garden and a series of distinct outdoor rooms set against views of the Berkshire Hills. He can be viewed 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but tickets for this garden frequently sell out.
The West Cornwall garden created by Michael Trapp will be on view from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is an intimate and atmospheric landscape where antique elements, stonework and sculptural plantings create a layered garden overlooking the Housatonic River.
Clove Brook Farm, the Millbrook, NY, garden of Christopher Spitzmiller and Anthony Bellom, can be toured from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A thoughtfully restored 1830s Greek Revival property with interconnected garden spaces, the garden progresses from a vibrant cutting garden to a formal pool garden anchored by classical design.
Maxine Paetro’s Broccoli Hall in Amenia, NY, features a romantic, English-inspired garden that unfolds as a series of outdoor rooms where structured plantings, seasonal blooms and unexpected details create a sense of discovery. It will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Katie Ridder and Peter Pennoyer of Stanfordville, NY, have a hornbeam-enclosed flower garden inspired by Wave Hill, with carefully composed plantings surrounding a central fountain and pergola. Capacity is limited and tickets are first-come, first-served. It is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In Valatie, NY, Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz will open Haroldhurst Farm to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their reimagined 187-acre farm is centered around a young, structured garden inspired by early American kitchen gardens, with orchards, perennial plantings and seasonal crops.
Tickets go on sale April 1 at midnight. Underwriters may claim their garden tour tickets now for early access. The event is rain or shine.
Project SAGE creates social change to end interpersonal relationship violence by challenging attitudes and beliefs about power, control, and gender norms and by advocating for victims and survivors. Founded in 1979 by women in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut, Project SAGE has grown into a community-focused organization serving clients across Northwest Connecticut and surrounding communities in New York and Massachusetts.
Project SAGE provides free, confidential crisis services including a 24/7 hotline, emergency shelter, re-housing support, individual safety planning, counseling, and legal advocacy. Project SAGE is located at 13A Porter Street, Lakeville. Walk-ins are welcome.