We’re always on the hunt for inspiration, indoors and out, so we’re marking up our calendar with these upcoming don’t-miss garden events for Spring 2023.

Seed and Soil Flower Farm ~ Flower Summer Subscriptions, 5/16 – 9/3, A women owned local small business, Seed and Soil Flower Farm offers weekly or biweekly flowers subscriptions throughout the summer starting in May/June. Their flowers are grown right here in Chester CT. They also do small events if you are looking to elevate a gathering or celebration.

The Common Good Garden is Open ~ and they love Volunteers!, 5/16 – 9/1, Volunteer with Common Goods Gardens and help provide produce to Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries. Volunteers have been working towards the mission of providing naturally grown produce, as well as collaborating with local farm stands to collect their surplus.  In 2022, they delivered over 19,300 pounds to Shoreline Soup Kitchen’s and Pantries.

22nd Annual Friends of Hammonasset Plant Sale, 5/11 – 6/4, 9am – 5pm Located at Hammonasset Beach State Park entrance on Route 1, Shop for hanging baskets, perennials, 4” annuals, flats of bedding plants and vegetables. Proceeds benefit our work with the Meigs Point Nature Center and other projects at Hammonasset Beach State Park.

The Garden Club of Madison’s Annual Plant Sale, 5/20, 9am – 2pm Held on the grounds of the Deacon John Grave House, 581 Boston Post Road on the Saturday after Mother’s Day, (rain or shine). Profits from the plant sale will benefit the Garden Club of Madison’s Community Beautification Projects. 

Friends of Harkness Annual Plant Sale, 5/20, 9am – 1pm The Annual Plant Sale will be held in the Carriage House Courtyard featuring plants from the Plant Group, Heliotrope, Camp Harkness and Harkness gardens.

Life in the Studio: Connecting Ceramics and Garden with Frances Palmer,  5/20, 10am – 11:30am Join us at Hollister House Garden and explore the inspiration behind Frances Palmer’s exquisite ceramic creations and the link between her garden and how it lends itself to her boundless creativity. Following is a live demonstration of her honed methods and techniques during a floral arranging demonstration.

Trade Secrets, Garden Tours & Community Events, 5/20 and Trade Secrets Rare Plants and Garden Antiques Sale, Sunday, 5/21  Both events rain or shine. Tickets sell fast! 

I-Park Open Studios, 5/28, 2pm – 5:30pm I-Park is pleased to welcome the public to its first Open Studios of the 2023 season. Spend your Sunday afternoon enjoying art, music, nature and conversation. You will get to meet the artists who have been in residence with us throughout the month of May.

Mystic Garden Club Plant Sale, 6/3, 9:30am – 2:30pm The Friends of the Mystic Noank Library will hold its Annual Spring Fair rain or shine. The fair will include a White Elephant sale, soup from Mystic Soup Co. and the Mystic Garden Club, which will be selling plants and other plant-related goods. The Silent Auction will close at 2pm on Fair Day. This event is free and open to all. Proceeds are used to support the library throughout the year.

Estate Walk, CT Trails Day at the Hillstead Museum, 6/4, 11am or 2pm Explore the magnificent Hillstead Estate. Enjoy guided walks from the hilltop gardens to the pond, fields and barn while enjoying the splendid views.

19th Annual CT Open House Day 2023, 6/10, Connecticut Open House Day, now in its 19th year, is an annual event held on the second Saturday of June and more than 200 sites throughout the Nutmeg state will be open to the public. Organized by the Connecticut Office of Tourism, the event is designed to showcase the state’s diverse mix of history, art, culture, nature and adventure experiences.

House & Garden Tour of The Mount – Edith Wharton’s Estate, 6/23, 10am – 4pm Come and explore the beautifully restored house and grounds of The Mount, Home of famed author and one of America’s first Interior Decorators, Edith Wharton. Tour will be docent led and include a tour of the interior of the home, as well as the grounds and garden and a lovely lunch outside on the covered veranda that overlooks the gardens. The Mount Property is at 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA .

Old Saybrook Historical Society House & Garden Tour, 6/24, 10am – 3pm The 2023 House & Garden Tour fundraiser will feature tours of six historic local homes and five gardens. The tour will start at the Historical Society, where tour brochures will be offered.

CT Historic Gardens Day at Harkness Memorial State Park, 6/25, 10am – 2pm
Take in the sweeping views of the Long Island Sound as you tour one of Connecticut’s fifteen Distinctive Historic Garden sites. 

Madison Historical Society’s Tour of Remarkable Homes, 6/25, 11am – 4pm Explore Madison’s most unique private residences. Each home is remarkable for its age, size, location, or distinctive architecture and landscaping. The homes can be visited in any order and at your own pace.

Newport Secret Gardens, 7/7 – 7/9, 10am – 4pm Tours of the private gardens of some of historic Newport’s most prestigious properties, to benefit the public schools of Rhode Island. 

And here’s a list of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days for Connecticut. 

Save the Date for Connecticut Historic Garden’s Day on June 25th

Upcoming Galas:

Goodspeed Gala, June 12, 2023, 5:30 to 10:30pm. Celebrate the Goodspeed’s 60 years of great musical theatre with special Guest Jennifer Holliday in Concert, plus cocktails, canapes, 4-course dinner and live auction.

Hill-Stead Benefit Gala, 5/20, 5pm – 10:30pm Let us transport you to Paris and La Belle Epoque! Join us in honoring our founders’ legacy and supporting this magical museum. Help us raise funds by shopping the silent and live auctions offering fine wines, dinner, dessert and dancing the night away at the Hill-Stead Museum.

CT River Museum’s Riverfare, 6/1, 6pm – 9pm The unofficial kickoff to Summer on the Shoreline, CRM’s annual fundraiser RiverFare is a gourmet food and drink tasting event on the Museum’s riverfront lawn. Numerous local caterers and restaurant vendors provide delicious samples of their culinary talents for patrons and tastings from breweries and wineries of the River Valley. A full cash bar, music, and silent auction offering all sorts of great items and experiences.

Journey Found 10th Anniversary “Black & White” Gala,  6/2, 6pm – 10pm The Riverhouse @ the Goodspeed Station. Journey Found is celebrating 10 years of supporting choices, enhancing lives and fulfilling dreams! It will be a night to remember, filled with entertainment, a live and silent auction, gourmet dinner, cocktails and dancing! Join us for this landmark celebration and help us make an even greater impact in the years to come. 

Artfully Vibrant, A Spring Soiree at The Lyman Allyn, 6/3, 6pm – 9pm The gala is one of the Museum’s largest and most important annual fundraising events. This year’s spring soiree honors New London artist Barkley L. Hendricks (1945 – 2017) and his influential contributions to contemporary art. Guests at our celebration will enjoy cocktails, online and in-person auctions, Raise the Paddle, and a delectable dinner party under twinkling lights on the Museum lawn. All proceeds support the Lyman Allyn’s education programs and daily operations.

Big Barn Bash at High Hopes, 6/10, 5pm – 11pm High Hopes is thrilled to host Bonds of Strength at the Big Barn Bash premiere gala event. Please join us as we once again transform the indoor arena into an elegant and inspirational evening of mingling, a sit-down catered dinner, unique auction offerings and dancing to the award-winning, high-energy sensation ETA music.