Trade Secrets 2019: A Visit With Friends Among the Flowers
The rare plant and garden show is the primary fundraiser for Women's Support Services in Connecticut.
Martha Stewart isn’t the only one who loves Trade Secrets, the rare plant and garden antiques sale held at LionRock Farm in Sharon, Conn. each May. It’s one of our favorite events, too — it supports the community, in this case Women’s Support Services, whose mission is to create a community free of domestic violence and abuse through intervention, prevention and education. Now in its 19th year, it's a celebration of all things decorative and utilitarian for the home and garden, the kinds of plants and garden accessories that bring people from all over to revel in and buy (and boy, do they buy).
It's also an event at which many of our friends — gardeners and farmers and shop owners — whom we've written about over the years are present and celebrated.
We wrote about Jenny Elliott and Luke Franco of Tiny Hearts Farm, who opened their flower studio and showroom in Hillsdale, New York just last May. Now they'll be among the 60-plus vendors that include specialized growers, small nursery owners, antique dealers, artisans and others.
The Garden Tour on the Sunday of every Trade Secrets weekend is a self-guided tour of four private gardens. This year, Maria Nation’s garden at Good Dogs Farm in Ashley Falls, Mass. is one of the featured destinations. RI readers may remember that we introduced you to Nation, who is a screenwriter, in a Rural We profile, where she described how her garden developed into the serene oasis it is.
Other friends we look forward to seeing at Trade Secrets are Hammertown, Pergola Home, Privet House and Pondside Nursery. And it’s always fun to scope out new vendors to bring to your attention. New vendors this year come from far and wide: Judy Milne Antiques (Kingston, NY), Frank Jacobs (Alken, SC), Red Ants Pants (White Sulphur Springs, MT), Womanswork (Pawling, NY). The full list is here.
The Trade Secrets Rare Plant & Garden Antiques sale is Saturday, May 18, 2019 at LionRock Farm, Rt. 41 and Hosier Rd., Sharon, CT. Early buying begins at 8 a.m., regular admission is 10 a.m. and late bloomer at 1 p.m. The sale runs until 3 p.m.
The Trade Secrets Garden Tour is on Sunday, May 19 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Organizers encourage you to buy tickets early; there are limited Garden Tour tickets for sale in advance and no tickets will be sold the day of the tour.
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