Trade Secrets 2026
Among my favorite spring events is the Trade Secrets Rare Plants & 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 principal fundraiser for Project SAGE, a non-profit domestic violence agency serving Northwest Connecticut and the surrounding communities in New York and Massachusetts.
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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- 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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- 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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- Peony’s Envy of Bernardsville, New Jersey sets up their tent every year at Trade Secrets – most if not all their peonies always get sold.
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- Some vendors specialize in outdoor garden ornaments and planters.
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- There were items big and small. Do you know what these are? These are flower frogs. They are used to hold flower stems in place within a vase or container.
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- This table was full of charming potted plants and topiaries.
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- My longtime driver Andres also enjoyed perusing the different booths.
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- These are 1930s Francois Carre Frensh Art Deco garden chairs. They are actually very comfortable.
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- Oblong Books of Rhinebeck, New York and Millerton, New York had my two latest books for sale – my Gardening Handbook and The Martha Way: Essential Principles for Mastering Home and Living. I hope you have your copies!
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- Here I am with antiques dealer, Judy Milne. Judy has a shop called At Home Antiques and Design in Kingston, New York. She carries folk art, furniture, decorative accessories and garden antiques.
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- One can always find interesting planting containers of all sizes and shapes at Trade Secrets.
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- There were even chicken coop nesting and laying boxes.
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- I was eyeing these planters on the ground. What do you think?
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- Training stems blends plant care with creative shaping to achieve this decorative and artistic look.
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- Allium schoenoprasum, also known as chives, the small bulbous perennial herbs with that mild onion flavor topped with showy purple flowers.
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- Trade Secrets has so many beautiful plant specimens from which to choose. This is called Krylova’s Monkshood, Aconitum kryloovii.
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- This is Cyripedium ‘Sabine Alba’ – a rare and beautiful orchid hybrid with very large egg-sized white to cream pouches.
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- I have many of these plants in my shade gardens. This is Syneilesis aconitifolia, the Shredded Umbrella Plant.
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- And I know you recognize the hosta. My hosta garden is coming in so beautifully this season – I’ll share photos soon.
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- I always find something to bring home from Trade Secrets. All the plants are always unloaded right away and given a good drink of water.
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- And yes, I brought these planters home also! It was another successful Trade Secrets event. Will I see you there next year?
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