Trade Secrets 2025
Among my favorite events of the year is the Trade Secrets Garden Tours and Rare Plant & Garden Antiques Sale - it's one of the few events that goes on my calendar every year.
This past Sunday, a group of colleagues and friends accompanied me to the event in the picturesque town of Lakeville, Connecticut. The philanthropic sale draws growers, dealers, and artisans together to sell unusual plants, garden antiques, and other unique outdoor objects. Trade Secrets was developed by interior designer Bunny Williams in the year 2000 when she conducted the very first sale to downsize her collection of plants in her greenhouse. It was a success from the very beginning and is now the principle fundraiser for Project SAGE, a non-profit domestic violence agency serving Northwest Connecticut and the surrounding communities in New York and Massachusetts. At this year's Trade Secrets, I was also invited to conduct a book signing for my 101st book, "Martha's Gardening Handbook." It was a most productive and fun day for everyone.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I always like to get to Trade Secrets bright and early. I leave my farm promptly at 5:45am and always pull in to the parking lot shortly after 7am. Vendors and event coordinators already have everything in place.
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- Trade Secrets is held at Lime Rock Park, a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lakeville, Connecticut, a hamlet in the town of Salisbury. The views on this day were gorgeous.
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- At least 50-vendors from around the northeast region set-up under tents on the Lime Rock grounds. It is all very well-organized with lots of room for vendors and all the visitors.
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- Here I am with my niece, Sophie Herbert Slater. Yes, gardening runs in the family – Sophie and I are both very passionate gardeners.
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- One of my first stops was the Orangerie Garden + Home tent. The Orangerie is owned by my friends Anthony Bellomo and Christopher Spitzmiller. There were many beautiful plants and other garden objects to see. The Orangerie Garden + Home shop is located in Millbrook, New York – do stop in if you’re ever in the area.
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- In this tent, lots of blooming lupines, those colorful plants cultivated for their long showy racemes of blue, purple, white, or yellow flowers. I grow many lupines in my flower cutting garden.
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- Trade Secrets is a wonderful place to learn about interesting and unique plants. Vendors are extremely well-informed and willing to answer questions or offer tips.
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- If you’re a peony lover, you’d definitely want one of these, a strong, steel peony support that will last through many seasons. I have these for the peony plants outside my greenhouse and in my flower garden. I use a stake and twine grid system to support my giant peony bed designated for just herbaceous peonies.
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- Peony Envy sets up their tent every year at Trade Secrets – most if not all their peonies always get sold.
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- Dave and Bonnie Ferriss are dealers from Lake Luzerne, New York who specialize in art, prints, architectural pieces, and country furniture.
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- Recognize these two? My special projects producer Judy Morris and my head gardener Ryan McCallister. They also accompanied me to this event and left with lots of their own goodies.
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- There were items big and small. These are giant early 20th century hand crafted steel pots. There is a lot of energy and spirit at this sale – everyone always walks away with some kind of treasure.
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- Trade Secrets has so many beautiful plant specimens from which to choose. This is Hepatica, native to woodland habitats in the Northern Hemisphere and parts of Asia. This perennial is well known for its dainty flowers and interestingly shaped leaves. Two friends bought one each for themselves – I bought the rest.
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- Here’s my operations manager Matt Krack with his son, Charlie.
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- Once can always find interesting planting containers at Trade Secrets. These are antique faux bois urns.
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- Under this tent, cut flower vases and other tabletop offerings.
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- In this tent, many interesting and more utilitarian objects for the home and garden including all sorts of different brushes, markers, and insect swatters.
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- And here – a variety of baskets.
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- Look who else is with me – these three dedicated plant loving colleagues: Susanne Rupert, Ryan Mesina, and Patsy Pollack.
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- And here are the Ryans… Mesina, McCallister, and Conway.
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- When buying items at Trade Secrets, everyone is assigned an ID number, which is then tagged on each purchase and taken to a holding area for pick-up at the end of the visit. This very organized system makes it convenient for patrons to continue shopping. It is always so nice to see how much people buy for the great cause, Project SAGE.
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- My book signing was scheduled for mid-morning. Before the book signing event started, visitors were able to buy copies of the book.
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- The line was very full the entire time. It’s nice to always meet such enthusiastic readers and gardeners.
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- I always try to stop for quick photos at these events. And look closely, I am using a green pen – to match the book, of course. It’s another small detail that is important to me.
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- Here are two happy purchasers of my book “Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing.” Do you have a copy?
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- And look at this happy customer – who even had me on his shirt! It was another successful and enjoyable Trade Secrets event. Hope to see you all here next year!
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