The Beacon Hill Garden Club event opens its doors to mark the 83rd anniversary this year of this famous tour. The garden tour began in May and June of 1929 to celebrate the formation of the Beacon Hill Garden Club with eleven of the founding members allowing the public the luxury of being able to visit their gardens for the first time.

Today the Beacon Hill Garden event is one of the very best and most important fund raising events which benefit many environmental, horticultural and conservation organization throughout Boston, Massachusetts and the rest of the United States. In 2012 the event will take place on May 17th from 9 to 5 pm and on the day of the tour ribbon gardens along with select members gardens will be open to the general public.

The Beacon Hill Garden Club has a sincere commitment to encourage urban gardening along with horticulture. They promote cultivation, preservation and the improvement of urban landscapes by means of some of the very best educational programs, events and provide support for organizations which are dedicated to protecting the environment and making civic improvements.

The garden club began during the late roaring twenties during the golden age of post war exuberance. At this time the neighborhood saw a growing popularity in a sense of community as once again Beacon Hill was one of the very best and most desirable places to live and neglected properties became restored. Little did the community know that many years later the gardens they began tending would have the luxury of becoming one of the major events in horticulture.

One of the most charming of features of the houses were the yards behind them that were walled in. Residents began turning these spaces into gardens and in September 1928 a small group of residents got together to form a neighborhood garden club devoted to urban gardening. These walled gardens would become an event attended by gardening enthusiasts from all over Boston and the USA.

During the first year of the club two projects got underway and these would become one of the very best traditions and led to the event. The first of these was the club contributing a garden exhibit to the New England Spring Flower Show.

This was followed by the club holding their first garden event which was a great success and raised a considerable amount of money. This money was then donated to charities along with providing funding for civic planting projects. When the great depression came the events faded and the garden club went through difficult times. Then came the Second World War and the founding ethos of the club was greatly affected and the events were canceled in 1940. The event was held the following year with the proceeds going to war relief.

Today the Beacon Hill Club is limited to 60 active and associate members and new members must promise to have and maintain a hidden garden and open it the general public. Visitors to the event have the luxury of being able to stroll through the gardens along the streets of Beacon Hill as neighbors come out to take part in a community celebration.

Editorial | Image Courtesy Of Beacon Hill Garden Club