20th annual Hidden Garden Tour Thursday
The event will pay tribute to its late founder, Nina Pattison
TROY, N.Y. » Troy’s popular Hidden Garden Tour returns this week for its 20th anniversary with more gardens and a special tribute to its late founder, Nina Pattison.
Pattison died peacefully in her sleep this spring at 91.
“For this year only, our event will be specially named ‘ Nina’s Troy Hidden Garden Tour,’ in honor of Nina Pattison, who helped organize the first hidden garden tour in Troy 20 years ago,” organizer Phyllis Conroy said in a news release. “Nina so enjoyed her garden that she wanted everyone to see what she saw and loved about the gardens behind the houses in downtown Troy.”
Now in its 20th year, the hidden garden tour is a fundraiser to benefit Troy’s Prospect Park held rain or shine from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Last year, the event attracted more than 1,000 people, a record.
This year, the self-guided walking tour features 42 private backyard gardens — 12 more than in previous years — in the Historic Sage, Washington Park and adjoining neighborhoods of downtown Troy.
While most of the gardens are approximately the same size, about 20 feet by 30 feet, they vary greatly in style. Some of the gardens feature charming pathways, fountains, and pools. Some are filled with flowers, while others have more plants and vegetables — all lovingly tended by gardeners of all skill levels.
Attendees must check in at the Russell Sage College Parking lot on First St. to receive their hidden garden tour map indicating where the gardens on the tour are located. Because it is self-guided, attendees may check-in anytime after the tour’s opening at 4 p.m. but should be mindful of the closing time at 7:30 p.m. The gardens may be visited in any order.
For many years, Pattison’s garden was the first stop on the tour, and it remains on the tour to this day, now lovingly tended to by its new owners Mark Shipley and Sara Tack.
Pattison and her neighbors had been showing off their gardens for a few years in the late 1990s before they decided to formally organize the hidden gardens event for the public.
In a 2015 news release, Pattison explained that her garden thrived in sunny conditions. “I have what people refer to as an English Cottage Garden, which means it’s ‘designed’ according to my personal tastes,” she said. “If I like it, I grow it. And if it doesn’t like me, we part company.”
Before returning to Troy — the city of her youth — in 1987, Pattison had been living in Boston. “You could not find a piece of property like this in Boston even if you could afford it!” she said of her Second Street home and garden in Troy.
“It’s a joy to see the Hidden Garden Tour’s 20th Anniversary event named for mymother, Nina Pattison, one of the founders of the garden tours,” said Martha Quinn, Pattison’s daughter, in the recent release. “Two of my mother’s passions were her beloved Troy, and making the world a beautiful place one garden at a time.”
Peter Grimm, president of the Friends of Prospect Park, notes that Pattison was very proud to point out that people have purchased homes in downtown Troy after going on the hidden garden tour and seeing all the private backyard sanctuaries.
“This is a special kind of event that invites visitors into the hidden, green spaces of our city. It really showcases the humanity and livability of Troy,” Grimm said in the release. “The tour will not
be the same without Nina’s laugh, her smile and her beloved little dog Rosey at her feet. But she was so proud of this garden tour and of this city, there is no better way to honor her than to enjoy the simple pleasures and beauty of Troy’s hidden gardens.”
Admission to the Hidden Garden Tour is $10 in advance and $15 at checkin. Advance tickets are available at Carmen’s Cafe (198 First St.), Truly Rhe (1 Broadway) or online. Tickets are cash only on the day of at the check-in table at the Russell Sage College Parking lot.
The Hidden Garden Tour is presented by The Friends of Prospect Park, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. All proceeds from the Hidden Garden Tour benefit ongoing improvement projects in Prospect Park, located on Congress Street in Troy.
The Hidden Garden Tour map is also a ticket for free light refreshments and a restroom stop, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Carmen’s Cafe, located at 198 First St. Later, at Carmen’s, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m there will be a fundraising Prix Fixe menu dinner for $38 benefiting The Friends of Prospect Park. For dinner reservations at Carmen’s call 518326-2064.
Free event parking is provided at the Russell Sage College lot, located at First and Division streets. Additional free parking is available in lots farther south on First Street.
More information about the Troy Hidden Garden Tour is available online at www. hiddengardentour. com.