Pocket Garden Tour

The 23rd Annual Pocket Garden Tour featuring Portsmouth’s Historic South End gardens was on Friday, June 22 from 5-8 pm, and Saturday, June 23rd 9 am – 3 pm.

The Pocket Garden Tour started as a way to maintain the pocket garden at South Church, Portsmouth, NH. It has become an important regional gardening event drawing visitors from around the state as well as raising money to benefit the Church and the local community.

I had been twice with a friend who has lived in the South End for over thirty years. This year I attended with my granddaughter, and we toured my friend’s garden because her pocket of loveliness (1/7 of an acre) was on the tour for the second time. How exciting!

There were ten gardens to tour and each one was unique. Some gardens included musician, choral group or artist to add to the enjoyment. We walked from home to home so we saw a lot of beautiful Portsmouth and were able to exchange greetings with folks sitting outside enjoying a cup of coffee or with the many people or volunteers on the tour.

There was one thing I noticed this year that I hadn’t seen previously – there were a lot more vegetables growing in the gardens. One garden had been professionally landscaped, but the plants in the beds were all vegetables. Impressive!

In addition to the lovely pocket gardens, we were drawn to some Portsmouth History when we passed the building that housed the first state newspaper, The New Hampshire Gazette. On the wall of this now beautiful home, was a plaque in recognition of service by a slave named Primus who worked as a pressman for the paper for over fifty years.

We saw so many interesting gardens that instead of continuing to write about them, I’m going to post more pictures than usual.

It was a wonderful morning and spending it with my lovely granddaughter was the best part.

Granddaughter’s comments on the Tour:  Gardens were beautiful, and my favorite sculpture was the horse. It was interesting that I saw several ornamental apple trees which is my favorite tree at home.

Beautiful bird house painted in shades of purple to match the house.

Winding dry creek bed with miniature plants.

Fountain with white climbing Hydrangea as a back drop.

Flamingo Dappled Willow Tree with interesting landscaping ring – granddaughter wants one!

Lovely garden house with partial green roof and bookshelves and chair inside for reading.

Wonderful vegetable garden to go with Garden House above.

Cute garden dog sculpture.

Tea party table and chairs in the children’s garden at Strawbery Banke. We decided Grandpa needs to make one of these.

Nice selection of shade perennials.

Horse sculpture included in landscaping design.

Nice Fairy House. Portsmouth is known for its annual Fall Fairy House Tour.

Eye-catching tub on small wooden patio. What do they do with that tub?

Beautiful window box on the lovely home that housed the NH Gazette.

This lovely front garden included a choral group and a water-color artist capturing this ideal setting.