Daily Archives: June 20, 2022


Friday, June 24, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, and Saturday, June 25, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – The 33rd Annual Pocket Gardens of Portsmouth

The self-guided tour lets you wander through the Goodwin Park neighborhood of Portsmouth where tucked behind the 19th-century homes are a diverse representation of gardens. Once homes for laborers of local shoe manufacturing, the buildings date back to 1758. Plantings provide owners beauty from the sidewalk to backyard retreats. Ranging from classic to eclectic, gardens showcase the work of professionals and amateurs alike and include container gardening, native pollinator plantings, and hidden relaxing retreats. An easy one-mile walk with lots to see in eleven privately owned gardens along with the outdoor space of historic house museums. Musicians, artists, and garden educators are included along this self-guided tour.  

In addition, there will be several educational opportunities. So plan to visit Portsmouth, the jewel of New England, to see for yourself.

Tickets are on sale at https://portsmouthnhtickets.com/events/33rd-pocket-gardens-of-portsmouth-tour-6-24-2022 and are $20 in advance, $25 day-of. Ticket is good for either Friday or Saturday, Follow on Facebook @PortsmouthPocketGardenTour for updates and ticket sale locations. Presented by South Church Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Portsmouth.

Scheduled speakers include:

  • John Forti, nationally recognized lecturer, garden historian, ethnobotanist, author of The Heirloom Gardener, and the executive director of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH, who will sign books and discuss native plants and our role in preservation.
  • Tori Hiney, co-proprietor and Pollinator Habitat Design Specialist at Bee the Buzz, and the Ecology and Horticulture Supervisor at the Rose Kennedy Greenway , who will share information on pollinator gardening.

Friday, July 8, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Success with Hydrangeas

Lorraine Ballato presents Success with Hydrangeas at Highfield Hall & Gardens, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth, on July 8 from 4 – 5:30. No garden is complete without this queen of American shrubs. From 18-inch, container-sized, reblooming beauties to 8-foot explosions of multicolored zing, there is a hydrangeas for every garden. Through slides and discussion, you will learn all about hydrangeas, including the many recent introductions that have hit the market, their proper care and the hardy cultivars that perform well despite over-enthusiastic pruning and finicky weather. You will leave this talk never again to ask the question, “Why doesn’t my hydrangea bloom?”

As a professional horticulturist, Lorraine has been a guest on numerous gardening radio programs from Alaska to Connecticut. She speaks at regional symposiums, flower shows, to civic groups and garden clubs, creating talks that are both instructive and highly entertaining on a broad range of subjects tailored to each audience.

Highfield Garden Tour with Landscape Director George Chapman following the talk.

$10 Highfield Hall members, $20 non-members Register online today or call us at 508-495-1878 ext. 2

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