GOFFSTOWN -- Folks will have an opportunity to visit five of New Hampshire's most exquisite private gardens as part of the Garden Conservancy's Open Days tour this weekend.

The Garden Conservancy is a national organization dedicated to helping preserve some of America's most beautiful gardens, including The Fells on Lake Sunapee, the summer estate of Secretary of State John Hay, which is now a national wildlife refuge.

Through education, outreach and assistance on every level from horticultural advice to securing conservation easements, the Garden Conservancy helps private landowners ensure that their exceptional gardens continue to thrive.

Through the Garden Conservancy's Open Days program, the nonprofit organization shares its vision with the public by inviting them to visit gardens across the country during the summer, said spokesman Erin Plimley.

What started with 110 private gardens in New York and Connecticut in 1995 has grown to 350 gardens from New England to California, all included in the Open Days directory created by the conservancy.

“Some people tour the country, going to each of the gardens,” said Plimley. “They plan their travels around the Open Days, visiting states or going on day trips.”

The gardens selected by the Conservancy for the tour are vetted by regional representatives to ensure they meet a high standard of design, include interesting plantings and features, and provide ideas that people can take home and apply in their own back yards, Plimley said.

“The gardens don't have to be huge. We have some that are multi-acre estates with several staff members caring for them, and we have others that are quarter-acre lots tended by the homeowner,” she said.

During the self-guided tours, the homeowners or landscape designers are usually present to share tips and tricks for making their gardens exceptional.

On Saturday and Sunday, July 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., five unique New Hampshire gardens will be open to the public as part of the Open Days program.

Evergreen in Goffstown, created by landscape designer Robert Gillmore, includes 172 rhododendron maximums and 112 catawba rhododendrons — plus colorful evergreen ground covers and other low-maintenance, shade-tolerant plants.

Danielle's Garden in Windham features a combination of show-stopping perennials planted against a backdrop of stone walls, water features and natural slate patios.

In Canterbury, Lane Johnson creates a Japanese inspired garden incorporated into the traditional New Hampshire boulders and blocks that find their way from below the earth and into every landscape in the Granite State.

The Garden on Garvin Hill in Chichester gives visitors a chance to explore a traditional English garden without traveling across the pond, and Tiffany Gardens in Londonderry offers breathtaking views and more than 300 varieties of trees and shrubs.

Admission to each garden is $5 a person. For directions and more information, go to the conservancy's web page and schedule.

nfoster@newstote.com