Open Gardens 2024

Saturday, June 22
Alden House Greenhouse and Gardens
63 Church St., Belfast

Explore the grounds of Alden House, a Greek Revival home built in 1840 and lovingly renovated  by innkeepers Lexa and Nat Clifford. Where the old privy once stood: a rock garden. Where the stable once stood: a greenhouse, made by Hartley Botanic and shipped from England in pieces. The Cliffords have landscaped by moving plants, replacing lawn with gardens, and adding new trees—American Elm, Dawn Redwood, Redbud, and more. 

Saturday, June 29
Nguyen Gardens
2412 Atlantic Ave, Linconville

Wander along curving pathways past the pond, fountain, and whimsical artifacts. Perennials  abound—with annuals interspersed

Saturday, July 6
Angela Hill’s Footbridge Gardens
11 Footbridge Rd., Belfast

When Angela Hill first walked this two-acre  property, located above the Footbridge, it was the beautiful gardens that called to her. A Master Gardener had designed them and labeled every plant in Latin. But was this approach sustainable? Hill and her husband were living and working elsewhere. “Reality,” she says, “stepped in.” Over the next 15 years, working with Lance and Elisha Oliver of Wentworth Hill Landscaping, Hill reshaped the gardens with formal hedges—more than 100 arborvitae—shade and sun gardens, and a gazebo. Visitors can stroll through on many garden paths, taking in the matured specimens—including decades-old flowering trees such as red bud and Japanese lilac—and newly incorporated varieties.

Altogether, the Footbridge Gardens form  a “hidden oasis,” lively with birds, bees, and other creatures (fox, bobcats, deer), as well as views of the bay. 

Saturday, July 13
The Gardens at Dickens Pond
120 Park St., Rockport

The gardens at Dickens Pond have evolved over 58 years. The initial work was done by Barbara Furey and her husband Greg; then, after his passing, by Barbara and her son Bart. You will find a little of everything here. Sunny gardens and shade gardens, annuals and perennials, borders and smaller gardens under trees. Enjoy.

Saturday, July 20
The Welch Gardens
49 Robbins Rd., Belfast

Janalee Welch, a painter, thinks of this garden as an extension of her art.  You’ll see an artist’s palette of harmonious color, shape, and texture, as you walk along pathways that lead from vignette to vignette, where hydrangeas, native plants, the beginnings of a moss garden, and sculptural elements create visual moments. Once a bed of crushed rock and eroding slope, this is a young garden coming into its own and inviting birds and guests. Welch’s studio will be open during the tour.  

Saturday, July 27
Heffron/Vernelson Gardens 
2 Pearl St., Belfast

Saturday, Aug 3  
The Treat Street Gardens
22 Treat St., and 2 Treat St., 11 Treat St., 14 Treat St., Belfast

Treat Street is a private drive off Route 1 in East Belfast. At the foot of the hill is 22 Treat St., the home of Anna Petroski and Roger Jellison, where small garden areas and small rock wall structures have been added each year since 2018. The first-year project was a significant shoreline restoration project and access to the beach will be available during the tour.  The home will be open to visitors and will showcase local Belfast area artists especially, master painter Kerstin Engman who will be onsite for the day to discuss her work and the collection in the home.

Also on the street are the gardens of Dale and Jim Kocot at 2 Treat St., Annie and Meurig Davies at 11 Treat St., and Fiona and Jeff Doody at 14 Treat St. The Doody Garden is the most expansive on the street with a large outdoor entertainment patio, a blueberry field, beehives, vegetable raised gardens and a small orchard installed only two years ago and thriving.

Saturday, Aug 10
Bayside Cottage Gardens
21 Broadway, Northport (Bayside) and 24 Broadway, Northport (Bayside) 

Elliott Garden This lot, Like many Bayside properties, is small–testimony to Bayside’s roots as a Methodist campground. Tiny size is a challenge–but one that is treasured here, by a family with a deep background in farming. (Linda grew up on a poultry farm and her daughter is an organic vegetable and herb farmer.) In order to winterize, Linda had the cottage moved in 2008 so a concrete foundation could be poured. The cottage was then moved back. The clematis, growing up the porch, survived.

There’s a lot of shade here and a lot to see. Look for Alberta Spruce, various lilies, coneflower, black-eyed susans, dahlias, lamb’s ears, peony, delphinium,  liatris, and more.  It is a place of “joyful color,” with cottage styling, a stone patio,  and a barred owl next door. 

Carlton’s Cottage Garden Step into the joy of small-space cottage gardening. You’ll find a profusion of densely arranged perennials with changing colors throughout the summer. The historic Bayside cottage  will be open to visitors as well.

Saturday, Aug 17
Lincolnville Ave. Gardens
12 Lincolnville Ave., 18 Lincolnville Ave., Belfast

Betty’s Garden Situated on a half an acre, this property hosts a variety of plantings, including English cottage-style garden beds, an untamed meadow area bordered by a small copse of young birch and tamarack trees, and a tiny xeric area where cactus thrive. Scattered around the property are vegetable beds, fruit trees, and berry bushes.  The diverse mix of plants, trees, and shrubs creates habitat for nesting birds (crows, blue birds, wrens, chickadees, hummingbirds, and goldfinches) and other native wildlife.

An Artist’s Garden When Paula Carter started digging around 30 years ago, she found the usual invasives, plus bricks, gravel, coal, and a few marbles. Since then, she’s filled the narrow one-third acre with sun-loving and then shade-loving plants, as the trees grew. Look for stone paths that lead through the reclaimed driveway garden, plus a pleasant green lawn, sitting areas, and a variety of roses and native shrubs.