Stonington Borough In Bloom

Stonington Borough will be in full bloom this Friday and Saturday for Gardens By The Sea, a walking tour of ten private gardens in the borough.

The Stonington Garden Club hosts the event every three years, which often draws thousands of people to the seaside village.

“It's hard to say how many people we are expecting, but in the past this Tour has drawn more than two thousand people,” said event co-chair Ruth Saunders. 

“There is, as always, a variety of gardens—formal perennial gardens, shady pocket gardens, flowering borders framing sea views, and more,” Saunders said. “We do occasionally repeat a garden that has been on an earlier tour, especially where there are new things to enjoy, but most of this year's gardens are new.”

The tour offers a glimpse of gardens behind the walls of the borough’s historic homes, many of which date back to the 19th century.

The tour, according to a press release sent by The Stonington Garden Club, will begin “with an elegant garden that captures attention with its pink roses peeping through the white fence.  A cherry tree graces the corner of a brick path, which leads to a newly renovated garden, planned by the owner to create a quiet sanctuary.”

The tour continues to a sunny garden with hidden garden inside an art studio and then to a multi-level garden that, “features a 30-year-old rose bed, a unique outdoor fireplace, patio and pergola. A grassy path, edged with Rugosa roses, lavender and native grasses, leads to the decked seating area at waters edge.”

“For the two days of the Tour there's also a wonderful Marketplace featuring vendors from all over the east coast, and of course the charm and interest of Stonington's unique shops and excellent restaurants,” Saunders said.

Tickets for the tour costs $25 in advance or $30 on the day of the tour. is open to the public on Friday, June 10 and Saturday June 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The proceeds of the tour go to support a number of community projects including NatureScapes with Stonington’s third-grade classes, student workshops, and the creation of a Children’s Community Garden at the .

For more information visit www.stoningotn-gardenclub.org or call 860-531-TOUR