Whether you have little more than a glorified fire escape or a small shaded and paved back yard, the tour of Hoboken’s Secret Gardens is living proof that innovative gardening solutions exist for even the most cramped spaces.
“Small spaces, big ideas,” is how the Garden Tour Chairman Terry Pranses described the upcoming event, which is in its seventh year. The tour is presented by the Hoboken Historical Museum, and is supported by the Hoboken Garden Club. It will be held this Sunday (today), June 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours leave every half hour from the museum at 1301 Hudson St. and will take about two hours and 15 minutes.
There is a big variety of styles to see, from a tiny garden with pots and containers, to a garden where wisteria climb walls and adorns a long pergola, to a number of beautiful refuges tucked away nicely behind historic brownstones. Pranses added that it’s amazing how a city lot can provide a virtual jungle with greenery punctuated with splashes of color.
Highlights of the tour include a serene Japanese-inspired tableau with bamboo, rare grasses and silent boulders; a garden and spa designed for adults and children, hidden behind a Victorian-era carriage house; and a rare series of three inter-connected townhouse gardens and a virtual jungle of trees, vines and shrubs that provide soothing greenery year-round. He said that the tour is perfect for Hoboken newcomers hoping to enhance the values of their houses and create a special sanctuary in their yards.
“I recommend the tour for new residents who are perplexed as to what to do with their own small garden or totally paved space,” said Pranses. “They might think that nothing will grow in their own yard, but hopefully they will leave with tons of ideas on how to overcome their own challenges.”
He added that the tour is also good for more established residents who would like to escape for the afternoon and discover some of Hoboken’s hidden charms. “For many people, it’s an antidote for too much brick and mortar,” he said. “I’ve had people come up to me and remark that ‘it’s like spending a day in the country without leaving Hoboken.’ “
Advance sale tickets are $15 and are available Amanda’s Restaurant at 908 Washington St., Empire Coffee and Tea at 231 Washington St., and the Hoboken historical Museum at 1301 Hudson St.
Tickets on the day of the tour will be $20 and will be available at the museum. For more information, call (201) 656-2240 ext 7.