Open Gardens

NPA members love to tour the gardens of fellow members through our popular Open Gardens program. What other organization offers free garden tours almost every weekend for six months out of the year?

Tour a wide array of gardens

The Open Gardens directory lists garden tours from May through October, with as many as 100 gardens or more open each year. Most are private gardens not usually open to the public. They are located throughout Western Washington and occasionally into Eastern Washington.

Gardens of all styles and sizes are included, ranging from intimate urban retreats to sprawling country gardens, from sophisticated collections of rare treasures, to exuberant displays of old favorites. (Photo at right: Karen Decker's garden in Renton)

Host an open garden

This is a program for members by members. Any NPA member is welcome to host an open garden. Whether your garden is large or small, new or well established, sophisticated or eclectic, other members would love to visit. Won’t you consider opening your garden? The deadline to register is February 26, 2019. Here are some resources to get you started:

• An invitation to open your garden
• Registration form
• Tips for completing the registration form
• Open Gardens Checklist
• Questions? Email us at npaopengardens@gmail.com

Share your love of gardening

Whether you’re a new gardener or an old hand at digging in the dirt, garden tours are a great way to find inspiration, discover new plants, and have fun hanging out with other garden enthusiasts.  
Hosts find it to be a fun and rewarding experience to welcome fellow gardeners who appreciate the effort and creativity that goes into making a garden. Visitors and hosts alike enjoy sharing ideas, favorite plants, and mutual challenges. 

Find details in the Open Gardens Directory

The Open Gardens directory is given only to NPA members. It is mailed in April, and gardens open beginning in May. In the directory, each NPA garden is grouped into a suggested self-guided tour. Each listing includes the garden’s description, along with driving directions, dates and hours it is open. The book features photographs of most of the gardens. 

Be sure to look for your NPA membership card, which will be inside the front cover of the directory.

Check our Discount Offers for nurseries and garden-related businesses that offer a discount on purchases when you show your NPA card. The list is published in the back of your Open Gardens directory. Another important section of the directory is the NPA Business Spotlight, which showcases garden businesses owned by NPA members.