A tradition for nearly nine decades, the Beacon Hill Garden Club’s Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill Tour (beaconhillgardenclub.org/tour) returns to Boston’s swankiest neighborhood May 17 from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Horticulture aficionados can take a peek at the private and normally out-of-sight patios, courtyards and green spaces of some of the area’s most gorgeous homes. Tickets, which are $50 through May 10 and $60 after that date, can be reserved online or by visiting the club’s information table outside the Charles Street Meeting House (corner of Charles and Mt. Vernon streets) the day of the event, where visitors can also pick up maps for this self-guided tour. For a quick respite, enjoy complimentary tea, coffee, lemonade and cookies at the Church of the Advent’s Moseley Hall (30 Brimmer St., Mt. Vernon Square).