A Step Inside History: The 2026 Long Beach Historical Society House & Garden Tour

Historic Garden Tour

Each year, the Long Island Historical & Preservation Society opens the doors to some of Long Beach’s most fascinating private homes, and the 2026 tour continued that tradition with a fresh lineup of residences. This year’s event took place on Sunday, April 26, 2026 and unlike a typical museum visit, this experience was immersive and personal. Guests move from home to home by either walking or driving along a roughly mile and a half route while discovering interiors and gardens rarely seen by the public. 

Museum House Garden: Hollywood Juniper & Kerria

The tour officially kicked off at the Society’s museum, located at 226 West Penn Street, a historic home dating back to 1909. Here, visitors receive a brochure outlining the route, background information, and highlights of each property. From that moment on, the day becomes a self-guided exploration through Long Beach’s architectural past. Beyond the interiors, the gardens are a highlight in their own right. Spring in Long Beach provides the perfect backdrop for coastal-friendly plantings, backyard retreats and historic landscaping elements that echo early 20th-century style. These outdoor spaces offer inspiration for gardeners and plant lovers alike, blending ornamental beauty with practical design suited to seaside living.

Kerria japonica (Japanese Kerria or Japanese Rose)

A Little Garden Whimsy!

Garden of Eaton Dedication

Museum House Garden

Museum House Garden 

Spring Tulips

Residential Garden

Residential Garden

Residential Garden Raised Planters

Residential Garden Arbor

Daffodils are Blooming!

Grape Hyacinths

A Little Something Extra While on the Way-Topiary Garden

Topiary Garden

Topiary Garden

What makes this tour truly special is the collaboration behind it. Homeowners, volunteers, and local historians all come together to create an experience that is both educational and welcoming. The event also serves a larger purpose, supporting the preservation work of the Historical Society. Proceeds help maintain the museum and fund restoration projects that keep Long Beach’s heritage alive for future generations. The Long Beach Historical Society House & Garden Tour isn’t just an event,  it’s a journey through time, told through homes,landscapes, and the people who preserve them.

If you’ve ever wondered about the history your neighborhood holds, a house and garden tour is the perfect chance to step inside and discover the past, one doorway, one garden, and one chapter of history at a time.

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up: Spring Has Arrived & April Blooms!

Welcome!

Welcome to my April Long Island zone 7b garden! It has been another rollercoaster ride of a month with lots of wind and temperatures fluctuating from in the 50's one day (that feel like in the 40's) and rising up into the 60's other days, and now temperatures have risen over the past two days to an almost record breaking upper 70's! The garden has been a couple of weeks behind, but there have been frequent gentle rain events to help the flowers grow, and the blooms are now catching up. Join me for a tour! 

Hellebore 'Champion'

Buried beneath a blanket of snow throughout the month of March, Hellebore 'Champion' is a delight for the eyes. I was happy to see that it was unharmed and the foliage even looks a bit better than after other winters. The blooms were certainly worth the wait!

Hellebore 'Merlin'

Joining 'Champion', Hellebore' Merlin' is blooming and joining the display...

Hellebore 'Dark & Handsome

and well, hello there to 'Dark & Handsome too!

Allium ' Millenium' & Golden Yew

In the back garden, Allium 'Millenium' has appeared almost overnight, next to Golden Japanese Yew. 

Pieris 'Cavatine'

As we get some warmer days, the petite bell-shaped white blooms of Pieris 'Cavatine' (Dwarf Andromeda) are showing themselves in the backyard garden...

Peony 'Bartzella'

and the bright reddish-pink stems of Peony 'Bartzella' are emerging from the ground!

Sedum Groundcover

Around the pool border, a mixture of groundcover Sedum is coming to life with a combination of golden yellow or deep pinkish-burgundy colored foliage. Stalks of yellow blooms and tiny pink blooms will follow in mid to late summer...

Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

and look...the Pulmonaria are blooming too!

Hyacinths are Blooming!

Along the patio border, the Hyacinths are in bloom, joined by the foliage of Daylily 'Stella D Oro'.

Spirea 'Candy Corn'

Here is 'Candy Corn', a relatively new dwarf cultivar of Spirea, which is displaying its vibrant new pinkish-red growth. Pink blooms will follow in late spring to early summer. Lamb's Ear joins in the mix!

'Repandans' Spreading Yew & Sweet Flag

For a little more foliage, here is Repanden's English Spreading Yew and Sweet Flag, a combination that maintains interest all year long, and now in springtime, the succulent rosettes of Sedum are a delight too!

Sedum 'Brilliant'

As daylight lengthens and the days grow warmer, spring is certainly underway with lots of expectations that await. It is time to get out into the garden and get some spring pruning and cleaning done, a task which is actually good for the soul!

Thanks for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my April garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

Connect With Me 🌼

It's time to plan your garden! Visit my Author Page 👈to learn about and purchase my books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey! If you have read any of my books and have found them to be useful, reviews are very much appreciated!

Also, check out my newsletter Northeastern Gardening News for monthly updates all to do with gardening! It's free to subscribe or you can pledge a donation to show support for my work, or upgrade to receive extra perks monthly right into your inbox!

Find me on Instagram at Northeastern Gardening and Facebook at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening Blog & Author Page.

Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved. 

"A Little Garden Music... And Art” Garden Tour

"A Little Garden Music... And Art Garden Tour" 2025

Welcome to This Month in the Garden! On Saturday, June 14th, the Sayville Garden Club and Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts (BAFFA) hosted their semi-annual afternoon garden tour featuring six gardens along with music and art. My husband and I were honored to be part of this local event for the third time since our previous involvement in 2010 and 2018.  It was a cool and rainy day, but leave it to devoted gardeners to combat the weather and endure the elements to visit a garden or six! Despite the weather, it was an enjoyable and successful day!

Patio Planter with Hydrangea 'Jip Blue'

Daylily 'Stella D Oro' Along Patio Border

North Side with Kousa Dogwood 'Greensleeves'

BAFFA Quartet: A Little Bit of Music!

Twombly's Red Sentinel Japanese Maple

Spirea 'Candy Corn' and Lamb's Ear (Stachys)

Patio Border

Patio Border and Backyard Island Bed

Entry to the North "Secret Garden"

Back "Secret Garden" (North Side)

Astilbe 'Peach Blossom

Back "Secret Garden" (South Side)

A Little Garden Art!

Back Entry with Double Knock Out Roses

'Caramel' Coral Bells with Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar

Pool Waterfall & Garden

Pool Waterfall & Garden

Cooking Garden-Herbs and Tomatoes

Driveway Border: Spirea 'Magic Carpet', Salvia 'Caradonna' and Weeping Norway Spruce

Front Island Bed 

Front Lawn: Weeping Japanese Maple 'Viridis'

Garden Greeters-Thank You!

The Sayville Garden Club was founded in 1927 and is a community organization which focuses on gardening while maintaining local gardens and encouraging others to beautify their surroundings. The club promotes horticultural appreciation, creates floral designs and offers scholarships for local high school students, garden therapy programs and local clean-up efforts. Established in 1968, BAFFA (Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts) is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing music and fine arts to the community, including the BAFFA Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The organization features monthly art exhibits showcasing local artists, art groups, student art shows and workshops.

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden and views from the Sayville Garden Tour. This event occurs every other year and is a favorite of many. Thank you to the Sayville Garden Club for wanting to include us once again. It is a privilege and an honor and we enjoyed meeting and getting to speak with and share thoughts with other like minded individuals who enjoy and appreciate gardening!

Looking for some Garden Inspiration? Check Out My Books:

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations  

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener

Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden

Shade Gardening for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

The Houseplant Guide: How to Easily Select & Maintain Indoor Plants

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2025. All rights reserved.