Garden club hosts Gardens of Waterbury tour on July 20
July 13, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti Some local gardeners have been working purposefully this spring and early summer, prepping their gardens to be stops along what’s become the local garden club’s annual benefit tour.
The garden tour includes seven private gardens in Waterbury. Courtesy photo
The local garden club, A River Runs Through It, hosts its Gardens of Waterbury annual self-guided tour of seven Waterbury gardens on Sunday, July 20.
Tickets are available in advance online, which get you the details to visit a variety of particularly well-cared-for private gardens. “From colorful flower beds to vibrant fruit and vegetable gardens, to serene water features and spectacular views, there's something for everyone to enjoy,” explains club member Sue Johansen, who helps organize the event.
The tour is both a chance to be inspired and to connect with fellow gardeners, she explained. “Whether you're looking for new ideas for your own garden, or you simply want to appreciate the beauty of nature, this tour is sure to delight,” she said in the event invitation.
The third annual tour supports the nonprofit garden club whose volunteer members work behind the scenes on gardening projects in local parks, along town streets and in their own neighborhoods and gardens.
Gardens chosen for the tour location belong to club members and other gardening friends willing to host. This year’s list of seven is the most to date. The 2023 tour had five, and last year’s had six, noted club member Wendy Steager, another tour organizer. The club’s members are from Waterbury and Duxbury. Steager said she hopes the tour can include some Duxbury gardens in the future, too.
“We like to have a nice selection and variety of gardens and find that some people try to get to all of the gardens, and some visit just a few,” she said.
A bit of a treasure hunt
The garden tour works somewhat like a treasure hunt, with attendees not knowing exactly where it will take them until the night before the tour. Purchasing a ticket puts your name on a list to receive the details on July 20.
“The evening before the event, ticketholders will receive a map with addresses and descriptions of all the gardens on the tour,” the event instructions explain.
“The last-minute notice adds some mystery, surprise, and intrigue to the experience,” Johansen said with a laugh.
The purpose for some advance secrecy is to respect the privacy of the host gardeners who are welcoming the public to their homes and property, Steager explained. “This is typical protocol when organizing a tour of this nature,” she noted.
The night before the tour, ticket purchasers will receive an email with instructions pertaining to the weather, the tour map, host names and addresses. It will have garden descriptions written by each of the hosts and parking instructions. “Everything they need to find their way to and around each garden!” Steager said.
The hours of the tour are advertised from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees are asked to respect that time window and hosts are expected to be “open” for guests during that time window.
Hosts are typically at their gardens to talk to touring visitors, Steager said. “We find that the visiting gardeners have lots of questions about plants and landscapes and if a host is present, they are happy to answer questions and share their knowledge and wisdom,” she said.
Photo courtesy of A River Runs Through It garden club
The club also assigns a member to be at each tour stop to help with parking, directing people on site or on where to go next, and answering questions about the club.
“We are always happy to talk with people to find out where they came from, or why they purchased a ticket. Interestingly, many people just want the experience of being in nature and being outside. I've met many people who received tickets as gifts,” Steager said.
The tour is suitable for all ages, and organizers advise that everyone be dressed for walking in whatever weather conditions are that day, as the tour goes on rain or shine. Children are welcome to attend as long as they have a ticket and are accompanied by an adult.
New this year: Everyone who purchases a ticket will have their name entered into a drawing for a gift basket with prizes from tour sponsors, including Blackback Pub, Stowe Street Emporium, Bridgeside Books, Salt & Rind, and Moose Meadow Lodge.
It’s also possible to decide to take the tour on the day of the event. On July 20, the club will have a home base at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 56 S. Main St., where club members will be available to sell tickets, hand out the tour maps and details, and answer questions. The prize basket also will be on display. Steager said the club sold 22 tickets the day of the tour.
“Some folks wait to see what the weather will be before committing to a ticket, so having a place to purchase a ticket that day and get the map and information is helpful,” Johansen said.
Advance tickets can be purchased online here.