Summer escapes  
Whether you have one day or a long weekend, New Jersey is full of destinations perfect for a summer escape. The river town of Lambertville offers picturesque nature trails, antique hunting and the historic charm of a quaint town. Funky and eclectic Montclair is full of cultural diversity, art, music, gourmet dining and one-of-a-kind shopping. And the charming seaside town of Cape May, with its gingerbread trimmings and sandy beaches, offers special events all summer long.

Tour seven unique private landscapes
On May 20, The Short Hills Home Garden Club will swing open the garden gates to seven unique private gardens as well as the 28-acre historic Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills. Private gardens will include: an expansive two-acre property highlighted by a wisteria-covered pergola and fountain with a view of a perennial border and lush spring plantings; a landscaped property with several garden rooms, including a koi pond with waterfalls, a putting green, and a country garden brick patio; an Italian Renaissance garden featuring a bronze sundial centered among boxwood trimmed hedges and evergreen walls; a former quarry transformed into a beautiful garden of perennials and wild flowers; an intimate English cottage garden; and two professionally designed gardens showcasing artisanal terra cotta planters and urns imported from Impruneta, Italy — one bold and dramatic, the other simple and elegant. Proceeds of the event will benefit Greenwood Gardens and other community projects. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.shorthillsgardentour.com or call (973) 761­7263 for additional information.

For more summer getaways and special event ideas, pick up the current issue of New Jersey Countryside Magazine, available now at bookstores, on newsstands and by subscription. Click here to get one free bonus issue and save more than 80% on a subscription.