A cultivar of the honeysuckle family grows along a native stone wall on the property of Carolyn and Richard Curtis in Narragansett, one of several gardens on the South County Garden Tour to benefit the Kingston Congregational Church. At top, a bumble bee targets Amsonia or Blue Star wild flowers.

The Providence Journal John Freidah

A garden tour is an educational experience, says Ann Perkins, who, with her husband Earle Perkins, founded Gardening With The Masters, a statewide tour of gardens.

Chuck Carberry, designer of the Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show, agrees and says that even professionals learn from other gardeners. Carberry, principal landscape architect at the Providence-based firm Ecotope, recently returned from Chanticleer, a botanical garden in Wayne, Pa. “It was a magical experience,” he says.

This week, gardeners throughout Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts are putting the final touches on their gardens for a series of tours that begin with the oldest of the area’s garden tours, Secret Gardens of Newport, June 19-21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

To get the most from a garden tour, bring essential tools, a camera and notebook, says Carberry, who visits local garden tours. He recommends bringing a pocket guide to plants, in case garden owners aren’t available to answer your questions.

Most garden tours offer a catalog or flyer with information about individual gardens. Read it before you set out, Carberry advises. It will give you an idea of what’s ahead, and which gardens to visit and which ones may not be as helpful to you and your gardening aspirations. If your yard is always in deep shade, for example, visiting a sunny vegetable plot probably won’t he helpful.

On the other hand, Carberry says, “If another gardener is doing something that you don’t typically do, you might learn something.”

If a gardener is available to answer questions, ask a lot of them, Carberry says. Be specific in asking about the names of varieties — or cultivars — that catch your attention. Also, ask whether those varieties were grown locally. If so, where?

“The most important question I ask,” he says, “is, ‘What didn’t work?’ Often, you’ll learn a little more.”

The first garden tour of the season was scheduled for June 13 with June 14 as a rain date. The Richmond Country Garden Tour was scheduled to visit 16 gardens, including three commercial gardens. Proceeds were to benefit Clark Memorial Library in the village of Carolina, said Leonora Van Hook, a librarian.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead this summer:

Secret Gardens of Newport, June 19-21. to 4 p.m. daily. If you’re interested in formal gardens, this one is for you, says Carberry. Most of the gardens are in the Point Section of Newport with its 18th-century and Victorian-era homes, says Mary Riggs, whose garden has been a perennial favorite since the tour began 26 years ago. It features exotic specimen trees, water features, and an unusual gazebo with upright members that look like trees coming together at the top. They are covered with chartreuse ornamental hops.

Tickets purchased on the day of the event cost $25. Tickets will be available at the Newport Visitors’ Center at 23 America’s Cup Ave. or at the main ticket office at 33 Washington St. and Kingscote Mansion at 253 Bellevue Ave. Proceeds benefit art and music programs on Aquidneck Island.

More information is online at secretgardentours.org.

South County Garden Tour, June 20, rain or shine. Ten gardens in Exeter, Kingston, Wakefield and Narragansett range from tiny plots to Connie Fitzelle’s half acre featuring old fashion roses and colorful clematis. Most of the gardens on the tour have never been open to the public.

Tickets cost $20 on the day of the tour, and proceeds benefit Kingston Congregational Church. They will be available at the church on Route 138, across the road from the entrance to the University of Rhode Island.

Island Treasures, June 27. In celebration of its 60th anniversary, Quononoquott Garden Club will offer a tour of 11 unique gardens in Jamestown, says Nancy Vetrone. They include raised-bed vegetable gardens, a cottage fairy garden, Victorian gardens and four seaside gardens. One of the gardeners is an artist who draws inspiration for her work from her garden. Many of the gardens have historical interest.

Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour. They are available by mail from QGC, P.O. Box 278, Jamestown, RI 02835. They will also be available at The Secret Garden and Baker’s Pharmacy in Jamestown. Proceeds will help the club to fund civic beautification projects in Jamestown.

Gardening With The Masters, July 18 and 19. The biennial URI Master Gardener Association garden tour will highlight 39 members’ gardens in all five of the state’s counties and southern Massachusetts. If you are interested in a variety of gardens and native plants, this tour offers much, says Chuck Carberry. Tour sites range from more primitive gardens to very sophisticated landscape designs, says Ann Perkins.

Tickets cost $15 and are good for both days. Proceeds benefit the activities of the URI Master Gardeners Association. Call the Co-operative Extension Center at 874-2900 or (800) 448-1011, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are also on sale at various nurseries around the state. A list is available online at urimga.org.

Gardens and Pumpkin Patches of Prudence Island, Aug. 26. A rare weekday tour, this one explores Prudence Island’s cultural and natural history and some of its lush gardens with prize-winning pumpkins, veggies and flowers. This van tour also includes a visit to the island’s abundant community garden. At lunchtime, stop at the Narragansett Bay Research Reserve’s Lab & Learning Center to see the exhibits and art displays. After lunch, head out to explore the island’s one-room schoolhouse and historic features such as farms, stone walls and an abandoned mansion. Bring binoculars and camera, a packed lunch, at least one full water bottle, insect and tick repellent, sunscreen, comfortable footwear — and be sure to dress for the weather.

Tickets cost $16 for members of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and $20 for nonmembers. Information is available online at asri.org or by calling the Audubon Society at 949-5454.

tmeade@projo.com