Guild Hall’s 'Garden as Art' Tour Is This Weekend

On Saturday, August 23, Guild Hall will host the annual Garden as Art tour. This year’s theme is The Green Landscape, and the emphasis of the day’s events is organic gardens. Five gardens, scattered around East Hampton and North Haven, were chosen for this year’s tour. They each showcase what can be done without the use of harmful pesticides.

The tour kicks off with a cocktail reception on Friday, August 22, from 6–8 p.m. The following day, ticket holders are invited to tour the gardens from noon–5 p.m. The day begins with a breakfast from 9–10 a.m. in the Guild Hall Sculpture Garden, followed by a panel discussion at the John Drew Theater from 10–11:30 a.m. The panel of experts will be moderated by local landscape designer Edwina von Gal. An environmental activist, von Gal founded the Perfect Earth Project, an East Hampton-based organization that promotes toxin-free lawns and landscapes. The public is invited to learn more from 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. as local organic landscapers will be in the Guild Hall lobby to talk about toxin-free landscaping.

I attended the press preview, exploring the grounds of three gardens—including one property with a rooftop garden—on the tour. The landscapes selected ranged in style from perfectly manicured to wild meadows. All, of course, had the common theme of being maintained as naturally as possible.

Visit guildhall.org or call 631-324-0806 for additional info and to purchase tickets.