P h o t o s C o u r t e s y o f T r a d e S e c r e t s
Some say it’ s the best kept secret this side of the Berkshire Hills. But take it from Martha Stewart: Trade Secrets is the garden event of the Northeast. In fact, there are few events that she considers sacrosanct: her family’ s birthdays, her summer vacation in Maine, her Christmas party, her Easter egg hunt, and Trade Secrets.
So, before we go any further, get out your calendar and join Martha in marking May 16 and 17 for Trade Secrets Garden Tours and Rare Plants & Garden Antiques Sale. You’ ll be glad you did.
Trade Secrets is well-known to niche gardeners like Martha who love rare plants and garden antiques. The event, a fundraiser for domestic violence prevention, features private garden tours and a sale at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, a mere 30-minute drive from Great Barrington. If you ask people in the Berkshires what Trade Secrets is, though, many may be stumped. It’ s not something that has been largely publicized locally— until now. And there’ s no one better to share what it’ s all about than the doyennes of design, decorating, gardening, and allaround domestic greatness.
Trade Secrets began 26 years ago as a small plant sale at the country home of Martha’ s good friend, legendary interior designer Bunny Williams. One of Bunny’ s gardeners, Naomi Blumenthal, had become intrigued with propagating rare and unusual primroses. She was so successful in her venture that Bunny’ s greenhouse became overrun with seedlings.“ In the winter, you sort of get carried away because you have nothing to do, so you start these cuttings and seedlings,” says Bunny. The two joined forces with horticulturalist Debbie Munson, and a plant sale was born. Bunny also invited some of her antique dealer friends“ because it’ s fun to be able to buy the container that you’ re going to put your plant in,” she says.
Bunny wanted the proceeds to go to a good cause; she didn’ t have to look far. Blumenthal was a board member at Women’ s Support Services( now Project
SAGE) and suggested a fundraiser for the nonprofit domestic violence agency. Located at the border of Massachusetts and New York, Project SAGE connects with Elizabeth Freeman Center in Pittsfield and Grace Smith House in Poughkeepsie when clients overlap.
“ It’ s so special that this kind of idea blossomed into something that could help fund domestic issues, and today they go into high schools to talk to students,” Bunny says of Project SAGE.
For the first Trade Secrets in 2001, Bunny offered her 15-acre property in Falls Village, Connecticut, as the venue. After a second successful year, Trade Secrets outgrew its location and moved to Wake Robin Inn in Lakeville, and then to LionRock Farm in Sharon. It is now held at Lime Rock Park, a perfect location for the more than 50 vendors, including, from the Berkshires, Glendale Botanicals, Helia Native Nursery, Hillside Nursery, The Berkshire Galleries, Scout House, Honeychurch Home, Berkshire Home & Antiques, and Wendy G. Jensen Baskets. The event now draws around 3,000 people and pays for 30 percent of Project SAGE’ s budget.
Garden tours on the Saturday before the sale make it a weekend event. Bunny always opens her own garden to 600 ticketholders, and it’ s the first one to sell out. This year’ s tour also includes the garden of Michael Trapp in West Cornwall, Connecticut; Clove Brook Farm in Millbrook, New York; the garden of Katie Ridder and Peter Pennoyer in Stanfordville, New York; Broccoli Hall in Amenia, New York; and Haroldhurst Farm in Valatie, New York.
Some 200 people volunteer at the tours and sale, and underwriters cover the cost of Trade Secrets, ensuring that all proceeds go directly to support the programs of Project SAGE.
“ If you love going to visit gardens or you love just a day out at an antiques flower show, it’ s an awesome day out!” says Kristen van Ginhoven, executive director of Project SAGE. Kristen, who lives in Lenox, is
“ There are a few events that go on my calendar each year that I consider sacrosanct: my family’ s birthdays, my summer vacation in Maine, my Christmas party, my Easter egg hunt and Trade Secrets.”
— MARTHA STEWART
Left, Martha Stewart with her longtime friend Bunny Williams at the Trade Secrets Rare Plants & Garden Antiques Sale. Left, background, a favorite plant that Martha looks for is hellebores— hardy, shade-loving evergreen perennials. Right, scenes from this shopping extravaganza at Lime Rock Park.
Spring 2026 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 19