Our Open Gardens project is modeled on the successful, long-standing tradition of Open Gardens in England.  Private gardens are graciously made available to the public on a particular day at a particular time.  Visitors are allowed to simply drop by.  Our Open Gardens are listed below by neighborhoods. 
Please note the specific day and time that the garden is open.

Open Gardens News

Season Four, 2013: We have 85 gardens open for your visiting pleasure--and 20 of them are new this year!
We also have made it even easier for visitors to plan your day, with a new map showing the areas where you'll find the gardens, and ever better "clusters" and some suggested routes to see them all.

Watch for the National Garden Festival Directory and Open Gardens Book (now in color), available in May at participating garden centers, Visitor's centers at the airport and downtown, the Botanical Garden and more locations (to be announced here). It's also your guide to 8 AAA motorcoach tours, 14 weekend garden walks or tours, many other cultural attractions and public gardens, and some fine gardening education at garden centers.

New to Open Gardens?

It's easy: The Open Gardens portion of the NGF book offers you twelve groups of wonderful gardens to visit on your own--FREE--on Thursdays or Fridays for six weeks (June 27 through August 2). You'll need to buy the book, and then keep it in the glove compartment. It's become the great girlfriends' or date getaway for some lovely summer days. The gardens are beautiful, there are no crowds, and the gardeners are friendly if you want to ask questions.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GARDEN COURTESY

A list of do's and don'ts for visiting Open Gardens, by Tom Rood, owner of Grace Gardens in the Finger Lakes

1. Thou shalt leave pets at home or in a shaded vehicle with the windows partly down.

2. Thou shalt use established walkways and not step into or across flower beds.

3. Thou shalt enjoy the garden without endangering vegetation with swinging purses,
   cameras, tripods, etc.

4. Thou shalt not touch any plant for any reason.

5. Thou shalt read plant labels without lifting for better viewing.

6. Thou shalt not ask to use the gardener's facilities.

7. Thou shalt allow children to enjoy the plants only under VERY CLOSE supervision.

8. Thou shalt allow the gardener to continue any work they are engaged in without interruption.

9. Thou shalt observe posted visiting hours.

10. Thou shalt carry away any debris.