Thursday, May 11, 2006; H06

The Georgetown Garden Tour was once a mid-April fixture that showcased lots of tulips and wisterias. In recent years, the action has shifted to mid-May. Given Georgetown's microclimate, this means early roses are bursting forth. In the garden of William Morrow, robust climbers such as Fourth of July and Rambling Rector will be ablaze in hundreds of blooms for Saturday's event. Morrow's retreat on 26th Street NW is one of nine hidden, urban gardens open as part of the event.

A landscape designer, he has turned his long, narrow, rowhouse backyard into a blend of structure and plants. It was featured in the April issue of Garden Design magazine. The garden was on last year's tour but is quite different this year, he says. Morrow removes about a third of the vegetation each year to try new plants. "It's easy to get into habits and put in year after year the same annuals or perennials that do well," he said. "I like to shake things up a little and experiment." Visitors will also find the roses in bloom -- last year's cold spring delayed the blooms until after the event.

The tour also includes the P Street garden of Michael and Julie Connors, designed by Oehme, van Sweden & Associates for its previous owners. Featured in House Beautiful magazine in 2003, it is open to the public for the first time. The garden has a checkerboard patio set against an ornamental lily pond. Plant beds include masses of roses now coming into flower.

The tour is held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is sponsored by the Georgetown Garden Club. Tickets, at $30, are available from Christ Church's Keith Hall, 31st and O streets NW. http://www.georgetowngardentour.com/ .

Adrian Higgins