SUM18-pubweb

Cape Cod’s gorgeous gardens

Cape Cod Home  /  Summer 2018 / , ,

Writer: Susan Alden

Cape Cod’s gorgeous gardens

SUM18-pubweb

Cape Cod Home  /  Summer 2018 / , ,

Writer: Susan Alden

Hydrangea garden

Photo by Cate Gulliver

The Osterville Garden Club digs deep in five private and public locations for the 2018 Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival

The fourth annual Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival showcases the Cape’s most iconic flower for 10 days, July 6 through 15, when private gardens and public spaces throw open garden gates and welcome the general public to savor this quintessential summer bloomer.

From Bourne to Provincetown, nearly 100 pocket-sized backyard gardens, seaside landscapes, parks, public conservatories and more feature the versatile beauty of this acclaimed plant, now available in over 75 different varieties. The Hydrangea Festival offers a full tableau of hydrangeas, from elfin dwarfs like the vibrant blue ‘Tiny Tuff Stuff,’ to 6-foot trees such as the stately ‘Tardiva,’ covered with big, white, ice cream cone blossoms.

Behind the scenes of the Hydrangea Festival are hundreds of volunteers, including nonprofit and chamber of commerce professionals, homeowners, nursery pros, and too many Cape Cod garden club members to count.

The Osterville Garden Club is offering a full lineup of both private and public spaces for this year’s festival on Thursday, July 12 and Friday, July 13, including five properties emblematic of the event’s mission to highlight diverse Cape attractions. All festival garden locations are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, and visitors pay a $5 entry fee at each garden.

Osterville Garden Club Hydrangea Festival co-chairs, Peggy Ginther and Sally Orcutt, chose a variety of gardens to attract both visitors and year-round Cape Codders. The gardens selected include two public and three private gardens in the Barnstable area.

“The two public gardens are treasures that need to be shared with the extended Cape Cod community,” says Orcutt. “Visitors will be amazed to see the dedication of the many people who have contributed to two special sites: the garden at Cobb Astro Park at Barnstable High School, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary in Cummaquid.”

Susan Alden