The Garden Conservancy will hold an Open Days tour of two gardens in Rehoboth and Seekonk, Massachusetts, on June 11 from 10 – 4.

• Pre-registration is REQUIRED for each garden. Pre-register for each on this website, except where specifically indicated otherwise. Children under 12 are free and do not need to be pre-registered if accompanied by pre-registered adult. Members $5 per person; General admission $10. Children 12 and under free.
• Capacity is limited. Sorry, no walk-ins allowed; no paper tickets or cash payments will be accepted on-site.
• Masks are required, at the discretion of the garden owners, and social distancing is encouraged at all in-person events.

The McIlwain garden in Rehoboth abuts a golf course, providing expansive views in the English landscape tradition. Optimal plantings have been chosen for the range of challenging ecosystems from rocky/dry soil to windy sites with wet soil. A cluster of trees with filtered sunlight hosts rhododendrons, azalea, pieris, enkiantus, hellebores and more. Most of the garden enjoys full sun. This is a garden for all seasons with the blossoms of the Okame cherries, saucer and star magnolias ushering in early spring, followed soon thereafter by daffodils, grape hyacinth, Spanish bluebells, ground phlox and PJM azalea. Early May sees the arrival of tulips, azalea and the sweetly fragrant Viburnum carlessi, lilies of the valley and lilacs soon thereafter. By mid-May the bearded iris have opened their blooms, along with the chives, allium, bleeding heart and rhododendrons. In June this is followed in swift succession by dogwoods, Virginia magnolia with lemon-scented blossoms, peonies, Dutch iris and gumpo azalea, coral bells, catmint, campanula, clematis and Geranium bikova. By late June summer has arrived with hydrangea, roses, foxgloves, garden phlox, daisies, veronica, lavender, astilbe, blue salvia, anise hyssop and Russian sage. Fall comes with assorted mums and flaming fall foliage of various Japanese maples along with red berries on the viburnum, holly trees and winterberry. The red-twig dogwood shrubs maintain winter interest along with the topiary boxwood and mottled bark of the stewartii tree. An herb garden with armillary sphere underplanted with alpine strawberries is flanked by a blueberry/raspberry patch, pergola, and roses.

In Seekonk, landscape designer Andrew Grossman describes his display gardens in this way: My gardens, which border the Martin Wildlife Refuge and the Runnins River, showcase a wide variety of perennials, shrubs, and grasses. The property includes a blue-and-white garden, a hot-colored garden with a checkerboard thyme patio, a cottage garden planted with roses and other old-fashioned favorites, and a rustic pond surrounded by bog plantings. There is also a cutting garden currently planted with tea roses and dinner plate dahlias. The property is featured in the March/April 2016 issue of Design New England and was a finalist in HGTV’s “Gorgeous Gardens” competition.