Rhe Potenza’s backyard garden has been a labor of love ever since she moved to Troy from New York City six years ago.

“I love the outdoors. I love gardening,” Potenza said. “I lived in the city for 25 years, so it’s always been a passion to have a garden.”

What You Need To Know


  • For the past 21 years, the annual Troy Hidden Garden Tour has showcased many of the nicest private gardens in the Collar City

  • The event, a fundraiser for Troy's Prospect Park, usually attracts hundreds of guests, but this year's garden tour is being held virtually

  • 3D videos of more than two dozen gardens have already been posted online

“For me, [my garden] is like an escape from city life,” Peter Grimm said.

One of Potenza’s neighbors on Second Street, Grimm has been developing his garden oasis for more than 30 years.

“I get plenty of joy out of it, but there’s also plenty of work involved in it, too, like every gardener has,” Grimm said. “But the rewards are terrific to have this.”

Both properties are among those being showcased in this year’s Hidden Garden Tour, an event that raises money for nearby Prospect Park.

“It’s one of the best days of the year. I enjoy it so much,” Potenza said.

“You find that most of the gardens on the tour reflect the personality of the people that own the house,” said Grimm, who’s president of the group Friends of Prospect Park.

Historically, the event has attracted hundreds to the Collar City, but with the region still gradually reopening from the coronavirus pandemic, the organizers decided to make this year’s tour virtual.

“We thought, ‘how can we still make this happen?’ ” Grimm said.

“We’ve been doing it for 21 years, so we have lots of people that look forward to it,” Potenza said. “They knew they couldn’t come physically, but at least they knew they could still see the tour online.”

With 3D video tours of each space already posted on hiddengardentour.com, the organizers say they’re relieved to be able to continue this tradition throughout these unprecedented times.

“It is very different, but it is very exciting for all of us, because it’s a certain sense of accomplishment that we still did this,” Grimm said.

“It’s just a wonderful, wonderful day,” Potenza said. “I missed it this year, so I’m looking forward to next year.”