Annual Andes Garden Tour Blossoms with Beauty and Community
Each summer, the Annual Andes Garden Tour offers visitors a chance to step through garden gates and into some of the most thoughtfully cultivated landscapes in the region. Organized by the Andes Public Library as an important fundraiser, the self-guided tour invites participants to purchase a map and explore a collection of private gardens that are rarely open to the public.
With so many events taking place across the region this past weekend, we were only able to visit two of the seven featured properties. Even so, those two stops provided an inspiring glimpse into the passion, creativity, and dedication that define this beloved annual tradition.
Ann Roberti’s hillside garden immediately captures attention with its sweeping mountain views framed by a carefully opened line of trees. From the deck overlooking her property, colorful flowers spill down the hillside while the surrounding Catskill landscape provides a magnificent backdrop. Looking over the garden she has spent decades developing, Roberti smiled and simply said, “It’s an obsession.”
That devotion has been nearly four decades in the making. Roberti built her Andes home in 1987 and began gardening in a rocky landscape that required years of patient work before it could flourish. Eight years ago, she and an 80-year-old friend cleared trees to reveal views of Graham and Balsam Lake Mountains while creating new space for additional gardens. Today, native shrubs and perennials form the foundation of the landscape, accented by favorite flowers including dahlias, irises, and crocosmias. Reflecting on that long journey, Roberti said, “I built my house in Andes in 1987 and gradually got into gardening.”
The second stop brought visitors to the gardens of Don and Vera Liddle, where dazzling beds of annuals and perennials bloom behind their home alongside an immaculate vegetable garden and beautifully restored stone walls.The couple’s story is nearly as remarkable as their gardens. Don and Vera attended Andes Central School together, graduating in 1964, before their lives took separate directions. Vera spent years teaching in Greece before returning home to care for her father. Don served in the United States Navy, learned the electrical trade, and later worked as a lineman for MTC for 38 years. After decades apart, the two reunited and eventually married.
Now retirement finds them working side by side in the gardens they have lovingly developed together. Asked about their gardening partnership, Don laughed and admitted, “She’s in charge.” While Vera oversees much of the planting, Don has put his craftsmanship to work restoring the property’s handsome stone walls, creating a setting that blends beautifully with the colorful flowers surrounding them.
Although each garden reflected its owner’s unique personality and vision, both shared a common thread. They were expressions of years of patience, hard work, and genuine affection for the land. More importantly, both Roberti and the Liddles welcomed visitors with warmth and enthusiasm, eager to share not only their gardens but also the stories behind them.
The Annual Andes Garden Tour continues to be much more than a showcase of beautiful landscapes. It celebrates neighbors opening their homes, gardeners sharing years of dedication, and the Andes Public Library bringing the community together through one of the area’s most charming summer traditions. For those fortunate enough to wander these peaceful paths, the experience offers lasting inspiration and a reminder that some of the most beautiful places are created one flower, one stone, and one season at a time.
