Innisfree: A Garden for Contemplation

Innisfree garden is the result of a deep friendship and collaboration among three people: owners Walter and Marion Beck and landscape designer Lester Collins. In the late 1920s, artist Walter and his avid gardener wife, Marion, bought their country residence, which they named Innisfree, and began to study garden design and philosophy. Walter Beck discovered the work of eighth-century Chinese poet, painter, and gardener Wang Wei. Studying scroll paintings of Wang’s famed garden, Walter was drawn to the carefully defined, inwardly focused gardens sited within a larger, naturalistic landscape that Wang created. Wang’s technique influenced centuries of Chinese and Japanese garden design, and the gardens of Innisfree. Drawing on Wang’s approach, the Becks created vignettes in the garden, which Walter called “cup gardens,” incorporating rocks from the site with trees and plantings. Unlike Wang Wei, the Becks focused more on individual compositions. Relating these to one another and to the landscape as a whole was the role of Lester Collins. 

““Western gardens are usually designed to embrace a view of the whole. Little is hidden. The garden, like a stage set, is there in its entirety, its overall design revealed in a glance.… The traditional Chinese garden is usually designed so that a view of the whole is impossible. The Chinese Garden requires a stroll over serpentine, seemingly aimless arteries. The observer walks into a series of episodes, like Alice through the looking glass….” ”

— — Lester Collins, in his book, Innisfree: An American Garden

The Becks met Collins early in 1938 and began their creative collaboration. He spent several years in Asia, and was dean of Harvard’s landscape architecture department before starting his own private practice. His study of Chinese and Japanese garden design jived perfectly with the Becks’ aesthetic. In his 20-year association with the Becks, Collins was able to create a magical garden that brought the Becks’ “cup gardens” into a unified whole.

Having no children, the Becks decided to endow a foundation for the “study of garden art at Innisfree” that would make it into a public garden. Collins became the estate’s manager, orchestrated its transition to a public garden, and continued to design and expand the landscape according to his and the Becks’ vision. As funds allowed, he cleared portions of the densely wooded site, carefully editing existing vegetation to leave magnificent trees and swaths of natives, including blueberries, iris, and ferns. He created the first route around the lake; added new cup gardens; designed such memorable water features as the Mist, the Water Sculpture, the Air Spring, and the Fountain Jet; sculpted fanciful berms like those along the Entrance Drive, and added new plantings of native and Asian varieties to create a garden that is natural, unpretentious, and sustainable. His involvement with the garden continued for 55 years until his death in 1993. Today, the garden is run by the Innisfree Foundation. 

Innisfree is unlike other gardens, in that it is a naturalistic stroll garden in which the hand of the designer is almost invisible. The design comes from the study of the natural site. The gardens at Innisfree are based around the 40-acre lake framed by wooded hills and rocky cliffs. Rocks are an important element—from stone walls and staircases to single monolithic stones creating a strong vertical in the landscape. Most of the stones were collected on the property and carefully placed in their current location. Dramatic water features provide movement and energy within the garden. Innisfree is a unique combination of Asian and American aesthetics. It is a garden of quiet beauty, serenity, and contemplation.

Innisfree, 362 Tyrrel Rd., Millbrook, NY 12545, (845) 677-8000, innisfreegarden.org 

Hours: May–Oct: Wed.–Fri. 10–4, Sat.–Sun. 11–5

A Collectors' Haven

As you enter the Kominz garden in Weston, Mass., your jaw drops as your gaze lifts up the steep slope. A serpentine grass path leads through a series of gardens built around collections of unusual conifers, Japanese maples, rare trees, hostas and perennials.

When Phyllis first moved into the house 55 years ago, the former hotel cottage was in major need of TLC. But it sat on an acre of land, and Phyllis had always dreamed of having a large garden. The first 20 years were focused on the house, work and children. When Phyllis and David married 35 years ago, the garden became a joint hobby. A tour of English gardens inspired a passion for unusual conifers. Other collecting interests followed: epimediums, hostas, daylilies, and Japanese maples. The Kominzes traveled extensively and collected horticultural “souvenirs.” Unusual Japanese maples were tucked into suitcases and brought home from Oregon. Other collectible plants were purchased on trips to New England specialty nurseries Broken Arrow, Cochato, Cady’s Falls, Avant Gardens, Haskell Horticulturists, Blanchette’s, and O’Brien Nursery.

The Kominzes’ site provided many challenges—a long, narrow shape, steep incline, and a base of ledge. In many areas, there were only a few inches of soil. They solved some of these issues by creating a series of curvilinear terraced gardens in the sharply sloped front yard. Retaining walls, fountains and a pond were added.

The curving shape of the gardens provides the illusion of a much wider lot, and terracing creates usable planting areas and keeps water from washing the garden away. While the design of the garden is beautiful, the plants are the stars here – from 200 dwarf conifers in every shape and hue to red columnar beeches, uncommon elms, and hundreds of hostas and other perennials. Phyllis has a great eye for combining plants that complement each other with their colors and textures.

After touring the incredible front garden, the richly planted backyard is a real surprise. Here invasives, particularly poison ivy and bittersweet, had to be cleared before planting could begin. The beds were then outlined with brick and gravel, and adorned with more plant collections. Inspired by years of living in Japan, David installed his own Asian garden. Phyllis added a whimsical fairy garden with miniature bungalows that resemble English thatched-roof cottages. Japanese lanterns, figurative statues, miniature chairs and metal roosters add whimsy to the garden beds.

Phyllis and David are life-long learners, attending lectures at horticultural societies (they are members of Mass. Hort., New England Hosta Society, Mass. Chapter of the Rhododendron Society, American Conifer Society, Rock Garden Society, and Lexington Garden Club), participating in garden tours, and asking lots of questions at the specialty nurseries that they visit.

They both find that gardening reduces stress, adds true joy to their lives, and has kept them physically fit and young at heart (David is a sprightly 97.) The Kominzes enjoy sharing their garden with visitors, and are a true inspiration to fellow gardeners.

To schedule a visit, please contact Phyllis at flowerlady233@gmail.com.

Greenwood Gardens: an Arts and Crafts Gem

The Teahouse

Although just forty-five minutes from Manhattan, Greenwood Gardens is totally removed from the sights and sounds of city life. The 28-acre garden, surrounded by 2,110 acres of forest and meadows of the South Mountain Reservation, was a private estate until 2003, when the Blanchard family decided to transform it into a public garden.

The front entrance

Entrance Garden

Two very different American families left their marks on Greenwood Gardens. In the early 1900s, Joseph P. Day, a real estate auctioneer and self-made multi-millionaire, built the mansion and gardens as a retreat from hectic city life. Architect William Whetten Renwick designed both home and garden in an exuberant, heavily ornamented style. The garden was influenced by both Italian and Arts and Crafts styles, and laid out with strict axes and vistas. A series of lavishly planted terraces descended from the house, and an extensive system of paths made from exposed aggregate pavers led through lush, colorful plantings and recreational areas. The family could enjoy a croquet lawn, a tennis pavilion, a nine-hole golf course, a wading pool, shady pergolas and grottoes, a summerhouse, and a teahouse. The gardens were decorated with statuary and rough local stone embellished with colorful Rookwood tiles of the Arts and Crafts period. 

The Summerhouse

In 1949 Peter P. Blanchard, Jr., purchased the property, and he and his wife, Adelaide Childs Frick, brought a more restrained classical formality to the estate. They replaced the flamboyant house with a Georgian brick mansion, and supplanted the extravagant flower beds with simple hedges of boxwood and yew and allées of London plane and spruce trees.

The Garden of the Gods

In 2000, following his father’s wishes, Peter P. Blanchard III and his wife, Sofia, began restoring the garden to its early 1900s appearance and converted it to a nonprofit conservation organization with assistance from the Garden Conservancy. The garden needed extensive work. The walls, terraces, stairs, pools, statuary, and colonnades all had to be repaired. Trees and hedges were pruned or removed, and 28  acres of plantings were recreated from old photographs and notes under the direction of Louis Bauer, formerly of Wave Hill. After more than a decade of planning, fundraising, and restoration, the garden opened to the public in 2013.

The main terrace

In 2020, the garden went through another extensive renovation, focusing on the main axis and fountains, and on the Garden of the Gods. Fountains were restored, walls were repaired, paving stones were reset, views were cleared, and new plantings were installed. When you visit the garden today, you are greeted by an allee of London plane trees. A towering, hand-wrought iron-grill gate, decorated with vines, ferns, parakeets, and birds of paradise is displayed at the entrance to the garden. The Main Terrace, complete with loggias, connects the house to the formal gardens, which descend downward on several more terraces. An elegant reflecting pool serves as a focal point of the first terrace. The Croquet lawn forms the next terrace, and and a bronze sculpture of a boy holding two geese holds center stage in the Garden of the Gods. As you stroll through the garden, you will find ceremonial granite hand-washing basins and whimsical oversized chess pieces that frame the stone Tea House, granite lanterns that adorn the walls of the Cascade terrace, and Chinese Fu dogs that flank the stairs.

The horticulturists at Greenwood Gardens are keen on educating the public about new and noteworthy plants, so you will see unusual trilliums, calycanthus, hellebores, viburnums, phlomis, and the newest varieties of beloved perennials such as rudbeckia, pulmonaria and baptisia, all labeled for visitors. The combination of interesting horticulture, strong classical design, and whimsical Arts and Crafts details make Greenwood Gardens a truly unique destination garden in the Northeast.

The D Shaped Pool

The main Terrace

Greenwood Gardens, 274 Old Short Hills Rd., Short Hills, NJ 07078, (973) 258-4026, greenwoodgardens.org 

Open May–Oct.: Thurs–Sun 10–5, select holidays

Spring Spectacular at the Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens

Photo courtesy of Stevens-Coolidge Place

A Spring Spectacular, running from April 21 to May 16, launches the rejuvenation of The Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens. More than 165,000 bulbs will adorn nine display gardens with the exuberant colors of spring, and visitors will enjoy a series of events and programs staged amidst the garden’s beauty.

The Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens is a prime example of a Country Place estate—a style that was popular with wealthy Americans in the early part of the 20th century. The Stevenses were one of the founding families of North Andover, farming at what was originally called Ashdale Farm since 1729. In 1914 Helen Stevens inherited the estate, and with her husband, John Gardner Coolidge, transformed the farm into an elegant summer residence.

John Coolidge was member of the Boston elite—the nephew of Isabella Stewart Gardner and a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. The Coolidges hired preservation architect Joseph Everett Chandler to remodel the house and garden in the Colonial Revival style that swept the country after the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.

Chandler’s design for the exterior was based on a formal layout of garden rooms with informal plantings. The main gardens were sited behind the house to offer privacy. The house opened onto a shaded brick terrace that offered views of the perennial garden, which was enclosed by hedges and laid out in a pattern of rectilinear beds with colorful perennials. The Italian-style fragrant Rose Garden replaced the old barn, cow yard, and pig sty. Adjacent to the perennial garden, the Rose Garden could also be entered through an upper terrace, which provided a wonderful view of the flowers. The neighboring greenhouse complex allowed for a grapery, potted tropicals for the house, and plant propagation. 

Construction of the rose garden

The rose garden today

The Coolidges became enamored with chateau gardens while they lived in France during WWI, and Chandler designed for them a French flower garden, screened on one side by a brick Serpentine Wall. Modeled after those designed by Thomas Jefferson for the University of Virginia, the wall supports espaliered fruit trees. The garden was eventually converted to lawn, but in 2000 the original layout was restored and replanted with an incredible display of annuals, herbs, and vegetables.

The serpentine wall

The French Flower Garden

photo courtesy of Stevens-Coolidge place

Ashdale Farm maintained its agricultural heritage throughout Helen Stevens Coolidge’s lifetime. The family kept farm animals, grew vegetables in the kitchen garden, and harvested apples from their orchard. When Helen Stevens Coolidge died in 1962, she left the property and an endowment to The Trustees of Reservations. Many of her gardens, including the rose garden, greenhouse, potager, perennial garden, and cutting garden have been restored to their former appearance.

In November 2020, The Trustees announced a multi-year rejuvenation at the Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens. The plan preserves the overall architectural structure and American Country Place style, while adding new and expanded display garden spaces, featuring plantings of the latest ornamental species, varieties, and cultivars in contemporary designs. More than 5,000 plants and 165,000 bulbs were added to the gardens, as well as native shrub and wildflower displays, and nature trails through the woodlands, fields, and meadows of the historic Ashdale Farm property. You will enjoy a spring visit to the glorious Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens this spring!

Photo courtesy Stevens-Coolidge Place

Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens, 137 Andover St., North Andover, MA 01845, (978) 682-3580, thetrustees.org/place/stevens-coolidge-house-and-gardens/

Gardens are open during the season daily (closed Wednesdays), 10 am–5 pm. Tuesday 10 am–7 pm.

Where Snowbirds Flock: Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Matanzas River, Washington Oaks Gardens State Park preserves 425 acres of beautiful coastal scenery. At the heart of the estate are 20 acres of formal gardens thriving in a shady hammock of towering live oaks, hickories and magnolias.

The gardens and buildings are the legacy of Louise and Owen Young from New York, who purchased the property in 1936 as a winter retirement home. Owen was a lawyer, diplomat, counsel to five presidents, chairman of the board of General Electric, and founder of RCA. Louise was a designer and businesswoman with lingerie and fine linen shops, and interests in weaving and pottery. She used her artistic talent to design the house and gardens. Despite their wealth, the Youngs built a modest home that overlooked the river, and a separate building for Owen to conduct his business.  They gradually purchased beachfront property across the road.

The gardens at Washington Oaks consist of formal plantings within a jungle setting, with elements of English and Asian garden design. The magnificent live oaks offer shade as you stroll down mondo grass-edged pathways through themed gardens and around lovely ponds. Gazebos and well-placed benches provide lovely views. Louise was a talented gardener, and filled the garden with her favorites — camellias, azaleas, orchids and citrus, all of which can be seen in the garden today. A formal rectangular rose garden is an oasis of color and perfume. Rose bushes tower to heights of 8’ and include the deep crimson Don Juan, coral Tropicana, carmine Kentucky Derby, pink Sweet Surrender, yellow Sun Flare, and apricot Medallion. 

The sandy soil and subtropical climate at Washington Oaks is ideal for growing citrus. The first orange groves here were established by John Moultrie, Lt. Governor of British Florida in the 1700s. In the 1800s, subsequent owners Joseph Hernandez and George L. Washington grew oranges and shipped them upriver by sailboat to St. Augustine. The Youngs expanded the diversity of citrus at Washington Oaks with plantings of sweet oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes and tangerines. At one time, Louise attempted to establish a citrus business. Owen loved the orange groves, and occasionally the wealthy industrialist set up crates by the road and sold fruit to tourists.

Across the street from the gardens you will find Washington Oaks Gardens State Park beach, which is renowned for its Coquina formations. The Coquina rock is part of the Anastasia formation, which was created during the Pleistocene era (12,000 to 2.5 million years ago) and stretches from St. Augustine to Palm Beach County. Coquina rock is a type of sedimentary rock formed from shells and sand sorted by the waves. When the sea level was lower, these shells and sand were exposed to rain. The rainwater dissolved some of the calcium carbonate (limestone) from the shells, which glued the sand and shells together into rock. Close inspection of the rock reveals the individual shells and sand grains that are cemented together. The word “coquina” is Spanish for “cockle,” the small, burrowing clam that lives in the sand at the ocean’s edge.

In addition to the gardens, the park offers trails for hiking and biking,  and opportunities for birding, fishing, beachcombing, sunbathing and photography.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is located at 6400 N. Ocean Dr., Palm Coast, FL 32137, (386) 446-6783, washingtonoaks.org.

Hours: Daily 8 am–sunset. Admission: $5 per vehicle

2020 Holiday Events for Gardeners

November and December offer amazing holiday events for gardeners in the Northeast. From beautiful light displays to Christmas teas and train shows, you will find a wealth of inspiration for your own holiday celebrations. Due to Covid precautions, all events are accessible with advance ticket purchase only. On the plus side, most of the events are running longer than previous years. Below is just a sampling. If your organization has an event that is not listed, please feel free to add it in the Comments.

Gardens Aglow

Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, MA
Thursdays-Sundays, November 27 - December 27

This event features beautiful light displays throughout the gardens, as well as many activities throughout the grounds. Roast marshmallows at the fire pits. Participate in a reindeer scavenger hunt. View a new addition to the event, the McGraw Family Garden of the Senses that features a stunning model train display. Savor festive treats and hot drinks at the Magnolia Café. Visit with Santa Claus at the Outdoor Stage. Enjoy Cape Cod Donuts, a warming area, games, and holiday music at the Parade Field. Shop for fabulous holiday gifts in The Shop. 

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Highfield Hall and Gardens, Falmouth, MA
Wednesdays–Saturdays, November 7–December 13, 12–6 pm

Highfield Hall is decorated for the holidays with a blend of old world charm and contemporary elements. Come see how natural woodland themes enhance elegant seasonal surprises, guaranteed to inspire, and leave an everlasting impression on all visitors.New this year will be the Winter Woodland Village, installed in and around the Patrick Dougherty Stickwork sculpture.  If you love the fairy houses, you will love the woodland vignettes! The Gift Gallery will once again be alive with artisan gifts for all ages.

Festival of Trees and Snow Village

Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Elm Bank, Wellesley, MA
Wednesdays–Sundays, November 27-December 20, 10 am–8 pm

The Festival of Trees, displayed in the Hunnewell Building, offers beautifully decorated holiday trees that are donated and decorated by local businesses, garden clubs, and individuals. Snow Village is an enchanting display of model trains winding through villages and vignettes, including Christmas in the Boston, Fenway Park, and hundreds of decorated houses and lights. Visitors can also enjoy the decorated buildings and grounds at The Gardens at Elm Bank with a stroll or a horse-drawn wagon ride. 

Holiday House Tours

The Mount, Lenox, MA
Saturdays–Sundays, November 23–January 5, 11 am- 4 pm

Enjoy the spectacular garden of Naumkeag lit with thousands of shimmering holiday lights. Each weekend features performances and activities for the whole family, from the young to the young at heart. 

Winter Lights

Naumkeag, Stockbridge, MA
Tuesdays-Sundays, November 27–January 2, 4:30-8:30 pm

Enjoy the spectacular garden of Naumkeag lit with thousands of shimmering holiday lights. Each weekend features performances and activities for the whole family, from the young to the young at heart. 

Holiday Stroll & Parade of Trees

The Stevens-Coolidge Place, Andover, MA 
Thursdays-Sundays, December: 3-20, 4:30-7:30 pm

This intimate seasonal event features 24 decorated trees nestled in a designed lightscape on our grounds. Enjoy a stroll through the twinkling lights and beautifully decorated trees. In a unique twist this year, program participants are asked to bring canned goods to vote for their favorite decorated Holiday Tree. In the spirit of giving, all canned goods will be donated to families of Neighbors in Need. 

Magic of Christmas

Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
November 27–January 3 

 This year’s celebration features new twists on the traditional décor. Imagine a fictional mantel-decorating contest in the Griswold boardinghouse between the historic Lyme Art Colony artists. Inspired by their paintings, they rummage through their studios as well as old trunks in Miss Florence’s attic for festive objets d’art and holiday decorations. Miss Florence announces the winner and awards ribbons on her birthday—Christmas Day!

In the Krieble Gallery, over 220 painted palettes, including a dozen new ones created this year, adorn four stunning Artist Trees. Miss Florence’s Christmastime Teas are available December 1-30.

Gardens Aglow

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME
November 21–January 2

New England’s biggest and brightest light display! With over 650,000 lights, the central gardens are transformed into an extravaganza of festive lights in a dramatic display of brilliant color. This year, it will be a driving tour.

Christmas at the Newport Mansions

Newport Mansions, Newport, RI
November 21 - January 10

The Breakers and The Elms are once again decorated with thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, evergreens, and wreaths. Holidays at the Newport Mansions will be more spectacular than ever this year, with our new outdoor experience. For the first time, the exterior of The Breakers and its landscape will be awash in thousands of festive colored lights, including 28 spruce trees glittering and glowing; The Breakers façade bathed in color; and illumination of the historic paths, shrubbery and trees in various colors. The Children’s Cottage will be outlined in lights and visitors will be able to peek through the windows at Santa’s Workshop inside. Holiday music will fill the air.

 Holiday Train Show

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
November 12–January 31

Marvel at model trains zipping through an enchanting display of famous New York landmarks—imagine the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, and other favorites—each delightfully re-created from natural materials such as birch bark, acorns, and cinnamon sticks.

With tickets and capacity very limited due to enhanced safety protocols that include social distancing, the only way to see this captivating display is as a Member, Patron, Corporate Member, or Bronx Community Partner.

A Longwood Christmas

Longwood Gardens, Kennet Square, PA
November 20–January 10, 10 am–11 pm

This holiday season, experience all the traditions that make A Longwood Christmas so special. Inside, stroll among beautifully adorned trees and plant palettes of delicate winter whites to rich reds and the greenest of evergreens as you wrap yourself in a nostalgic Christmas morning scene. Engage your senses with fragrant lilies and paperwhites, and relish in the timeless beauty of Christmas favorites like poinsettias and kalanchoe woven throughout the Conservatory.

Christmas Village in Philadelphia

Love Park & City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
November 26–December 24, 11 am–7 pm

Philadelphia transforms into a European outdoor holiday market for the annual Christmas Village, held at iconic LOVE Park. Shoppers can expect more than 80 vendors set up in dozens of wooden booths and two large tents, all offering a wide range of international holiday gifts, ornaments, jewelry, handmade toys, high-quality arts and crafts, wintry apparel, and edible and drinkable treats, while entertainment keeps things festive.

Holiday Railway

Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, PA
November 27–December 31, 10 am–5 pm

Visitors of all ages will be wowed by a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with fifteen different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under), and bustling model trains, all set in the lovely winter garden of the Morris Arboretum. The display and buildings are all made of natural materials – bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones – to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with small streams. Philadelphia-area landmarks such as a masterpiece replica of Independence Hall are made using pinecone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts.

Yuletide at Winterthur

Winterthur, Winterthur, DE
November 21–January 3

This year, one of the Brandywine Valley’s most spectacular holiday showcases will dazzle you indoors and outdoors. Warm yourself by the fire pit and enjoy some s’mores; watch our 3D light showdisplayed on the outside of the house (December 1–12); hop on our Kids' tram and take in the festive outdoor decorations; and explore the Conservatory and entertaining rooms on the fifth floor of the house with a self-guided tour, where you can revel in the breathtaking trees and dazzling room displays. Of special note is the majestic dried flower tree, on view in the Conservatory and featuring some 60 varieties of flowers.

Christmas at Blithewold

Overlooking Narragansett Bay in Bristol, RI, Blithewold is an elegant 45-room mansion built in the early 1900s and set on 33 acres of beautiful gardens.

Each year, the mansion is decked out for the holidays by a team of professional and amateur designers and Blithewold volunteers. The theme varies from year to year, but the decorations are always amazing.

Two-story tree in Entrance Foyer

Dining Room

Dining Room

Dining Room

Billiard Room

Billiard Room

Billiard Room

Billiard Room

Telephone Room

Breakfast Porch

Stairwell

Stairwell

Second Floor Gallery

Second Floor Gallery

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Marjorie’s Bedroom

Sewing Room

Estelle’s Bedroom

Augustine’s Bedroom

Augustine’s Bedroom

Stickley Room

A Longwood Christmas

A visit to A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA is a magical journey through a botanical garden decorated with more than 500,000 twinkling lights and spectacular fountain shows. The conservatories feature gorgeous displays, decorated trees and amazing tropical plants.

A Longwood Christmas was named number one in  Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights by USA TODAY’s 2019 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

Sweet Auburn: America’s First Garden Cemetery

Photo: Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Located four miles outside of Boston, Mount Auburn was America’s first designed rural cemetery. It also gave rise to the American park movement and became an eminent horticultural institution. Today, it is beloved by nature, landscape and history buffs, and is an excellent destination to explore in autumn.

In the early 19th century, Dr. Jacob Bigelow (left), a Boston physician and Harvard professor, became concerned that crowded cemeteries in congested urban areas might promote the spread of contagious diseases. At that time, most city residents were buried in churchyards or vaults below churches, and as the population of Boston grew, these options became untenable. Dr. Bigelow developed the vision of a burial place located on the outskirts of the city, with family burial lots sited in a landscaped setting filled with trees, shrubs, and flowers. In 1831, the newly formed Massachusetts Horticultural Society agreed to take a lead role in developing the first rural cemetery. They found a 72-acre farm in Watertown and Cambridge that was ideal and featured a 125-foot central mount that provided spectacular views of Boston and Cambridge.

Henry A.S. Dearborn (above right), President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, was largely responsible for the cemetery’s design. He incorporated ideas from the English picturesque landscape style and the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris into his plan for Mount Auburn. The picturesque style celebrated nature and embraced the topography and unique physical characteristics of a site. It also incorporated architectural elements such as castles, rustic cottages, and Gothic ruins into its design, which was particularly suited to a cemetery with its statuary and mausoleums.  Dearborn partnered with civil engineer Alexander Wardworth in laying out winding roads that followed the natural contours of the land, and retaining naturalistic elements such as wooded areas and ponds. He also established a separate experimental garden at Mount Auburn, planted with many domestic and exotic varieties of fruits, flowers, and vegetables. As news of the garden cemetery spread, horticulturalists from around the world sent gifts of seeds. 

The popularity of the new cemetery grew, and lots sold quickly. It was open to all races and religions, and became a popular choice for Boston’s African Americans in the 19thcentury. It also became the final resting place for such prominent Bostonians as Mary Baker Eddy, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Winslow Homer, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1835 the cemetery became a private nonprofit corporation, ended its partnership with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and the experimental garden was discontinued. 

Photo courtesy Harvard Magazine

By the mid-1800s, the site was internationally renowned as a horticultural attraction and pleasure ground, with picturesque landscapes, winding paths, a variety of horticulture, and sculptural art. Its success inspired the designs of other cemeteries, and launched the American parks movement. Today, the cemetery still upholds Bigelow’s natural, oasis-like vision, and has grown to 175 acres. The cemetery is planted with more than 5,000 trees spanning 600 varieties. They include Japanese umbrella pines, yellowwoods, amur cork trees, plane trees, weeping cherries, sweetgum, and weeping pagoda trees. Mount Auburn has become a world-renowned ornamental horticultural landscape, a National Historic Landmark, and a leader in historic landscape preservation and ecologically sustainable landscaping. Sweet Auburn, as it came to be called, continues to function as an active cemetery and a pastoral landscape that is visited each year by more than 200,000 people from around the world.

Mount Auburn Cemetery is open daily 8 am–7 pm at 580 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge, MA 02138, (617) 547-7105, mountauburn.org.

An excerpt from The Garden Tourist’s New England.

Two books explore the history and wildlife of the cemetery. The Lively Place by Stephen Kendrick, tells the history of the cemetery:

“When Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded, in 1831, it revolutionized the way Americans mourned the dead by offering a peaceful space for contemplation. This cemetery, located not far from Harvard University, was also a place that reflected and instilled an imperative to preserve and protect nature in a rapidly industrializing culture—lessons that would influence the creation of Central Park, the cemetery at Gettysburg, and the National Parks system. Even today this urban wildlife habitat and nationally recognized hotspot for migratory songbirds continues to connect visitors with nature and serves as a model for sustainable landscape practices. Beyond Mount Auburn’s prescient focus on conservation, it also reflects the impact of Transcendentalism and the progressive spirit in American life seen in advances in science, art, and religion and in social reform movements. In The Lively Place, Stephen Kendrick celebrates this vital piece of our nation’s history, as he tells the story of Mount Auburn’s founding, its legacy, and the many influential Americans interred there, from religious leaders to abolitionists, poets, and reformers.”

Dead in Good Company is a collection of of essays, poems and wildlife photographs of Mount Auburn Cemetery edited by John Harrison and Kim Nagy.

“An amazing group of authors have come together to celebrate this unique resource - including Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz; historical novelist William Martin; former Mayor of Boston and Ambassador to the Vatican, Ray Flynn; Boston author and television icon, Hank Phillippi Ryan; Pulitzer Prize winner, Megan Marshall; mystery/true-crime author Kate Flora; mystery author Katherine Hall Page; medical thriller author Gary Goshgarian (Braver); broadcasting legend Upton Bell; world renowned bird guide author and artist David Sibley; drama critic, author and host of the Theatre World Awards, Peter Filichia; screen writer, author Chris Keane; Mass Audubon's Wayne Petersen; Talkin' Birds radio host, Ray Brown; author, naturalist Peter Alden; founder of Project Coyote, Camilla Fox; Director of the World Bird Sanctuary, Jeff Meshach; senior scientist for wildlife at the Humane Society of the United States, John Hadidian; historian Dee Morris; and sports writer and commentator, Dan Shaughnessy.”

Three Sisters Sanctuary: A Healing Garden

A two-story tin man with a bright red heart greets you at the entrance of the Three Sisters Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a sculpture garden and art installation, but most importantly, it is a healing garden. When Richard M. Richardson visited Goshen more than 40 years ago, he felt drawn to the area. He began building the healing garden 25 years ago after the tragic death of his older brother, followed 10 years later by the death of his eldest daughter. He says that he did not find the garden, but the garden found him and shaped him into the environmental artist that he is today. It filled a void in his life with purpose and meaning. 

As you enter the sanctuary, you will see Richard’s house–another art installation– on the right. Inspired by a lifelong love of gypsy wagons that he saw on visits to Ireland, the house is clad in zigzag and diamond-shaped shingles painted in two shades of orange. A path leads to a firepit and a pond with a waterfall that is guarded by a life-size mermaid. Adjacent to this is the outdoor dining area, covered in climbing vines. As you make your way through the garden, you will see both whimsical and thought-provoking sculptures from a handful of local artists beautifully incorporated into the setting. The Tina Marie Sanctuary with its iron orbs is a tribute to Richard’s oldest daughter. An eagle sculpture by John Bander crafted from cutlery hangs suspended from a birch tree near a peaceful clearing. A huge stone amphitheater provides a setting for restorative yoga and concerts. A pathway lined with art glass takes you past the wetland and offers lovely nature scenes.

Photo courtesy of wgby

The central part of the garden is the Life Labyrinth, a series of connected spaces outlined by huge Goshen stones and fastigiate (narrow, upright) arborvitae. The labyrinth takes you on life’s journey, beginning with an area called “Dancing with the Ladies” on to “Courtship,” “Seduction,” “Commitment,” and through several other life stages until you arrive at the “Exit of Life.” It ends in the Butterfly Garden, where a group of “children” sculpted from wire by artist Michael Melle twirls around a maypole. Continuing past the Grounded Treehouse and the Faerie House, you finally reach the Mosaic Dragon Den, a space elaborately decorated with colored glass, metal objects, toys, and collectibles. Encircled by the stone body and tail of the dragon, the interior of the den offers a space for contemplation and remembrance of loved ones. If Richard is in the garden, he may ignite the dragon so that you can see the richly decorated head breathing fire. 

Richard’s latest project has been the construction of a massive three-section labyrinth adjacent to the scenic wetland. Many years in the planning, the labyrinth has evolved into a second dragon, this one more than 200 feet long and consisting of three adjoining spirals. Still under construction, the labyrinth promises to be an outstanding addition to the sanctuary.

Three Sisters Sanctuary is a perfect garden destination in September. It is located at 188 Cape St., Goshen, MA, and open daily 8 am to dusk. Admission is $10. threesisterssanctuary.com

Excerpted from The Garden Tourist’s New England, published in 2020.

Wethersfield: A Hudson Valley Treasure

Nestled in 1,000 acres of beautiful rolling hills in New York’s Dutchess County, Wethersfield is considered one of the best examples of a classic Italian Renaissance garden in America. 

 Wethersfield was built as a summer residence by Chauncey Deveraux Stillman (1907-1989), an heir to one of America’s great family banking fortunes. Educated at Harvard and the Columbia School of Architecture, Stillman had a distinguished career as director of the oil and mining enterprise Freeport-McMoRan, and as a naval intelligence officer during WWII. A 20th-century Renaissance man, he was interested in yachting, paintings, sculpture, architecture, religion, farming, wildlife, horticulture, and horses. In fact it was the Millbrook Hunt that brought him to Dutchess County, where he was struck by the amazing views and farming potential of the land. In 1937 Stillman purchased two abandoned farms, and expanded the property over the next 50 years. He named his estate Wethersfield in honor of Wethersfield, Connecticut, where his family first settled in 1705. 

The first buildings on the property were the stable and carriage house, which still house Stillman’s antique carriage collection and dozens of prize ribbons. The Georgian Colonial brick and brownstone residence was situated on the highest point of the property, with its main entrance to the west. It was designed by Bancel LaFarge, a Beaux Arts architect. Compared to the lavish summer homes of his contemporaries in Newport, this was a modest residence decorated with Baroque-style frescoes, antiques, sculpture, and paintings by Italian masters as well as French and American Impressionists.

Stillman with his grandson

Stillman was in intellectual, interested in all forms of natural sciences. With the assistance of a farm manager, Stillman continued to farm the property, and brought progressive soil and water conservation techniques to Dutchess County. He practiced contour farming—planting in rows that are perpendicular to slopes and thereby reduce soil erosion and water runoff by 50%. He also excavated 12 ponds to catch water runoff and use it for watering crops and his garden.

 He was also a deeply religious man who converted to Catholicism in midlife. His interest in the Catholic faith, philosophy, classics and history, can be found woven into the design of his home and garden, from the home’s chapel, to reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible, Latin inscriptions, and statuary referencing Greek and Roman mythology. 

 In 1947, Stillman commissioned Evelyn N. Poehler, a Connecticut landscape architect who had been trained at the Lowethorpe School for horticulture and landscape design in Groton, Massachusetts, to design a swimming pool. The commission grew into the design of a traditional Italianate garden and a wilderness garden whose design evolved over the next 25 years. 

Poehler and Stillman collaborated on a 10-acre portion of the property closest to the house, which was divided into a 7-acre Wilderness Gardens and a 3-acre classic Italian Renaissance Garden. Classic Italian gardens are green gardens with clipped hedges, a strong central axis, framed views, allées, terraces, enclosed garden rooms, arches, sculpture and water features. Pairs of shrubs, trees, statues or urns frame views and entrances. Flowers are usually used in pots as accents.

When you visit Wethersfield, your tour will begin at a visitor’s booth at the outer edge of the garden, and you will gradually approach through the garden to the house. You will first see the gorgeous views of rolling hills and woodlands that surround the formal gardens. The garden entrance is guarded by a pair of crouching lions. As you enter the terraced gardens, you will see garden rooms framed by clipped yews and weeping beeches in serene shades of green. To the right is the Belvedere, on a rise surrounded by white pine. A solid shale wall topped by a stone balustrade features a niche that encloses a cupid fountain with plantings of sedums, campanula and other delicate flowers spilling from the stones. The upper terrace forms the Peacock Walk, with a cage of these colorful birds at one end. To the left of the Lower Terrace is the Cutting Garden, traditionally used to supply flowers for the house. It is now used as a teaching garden for a staff of interns.

Belvedere

peacock walk

lower terrace with weeping beeches

cutting garden

The path through the Lower Terrace brings you to a stunning oval reflecting pool. This was originally the swimming pool that Poehler designed for Stillman. Notice the beautiful view to the south, with an ornamental haha wall borrowed from English gardens. To the north, a 190 foot long allee of tall arborvitae brings you to a fountain with a green and gold naiad, or water nymph, created by sculptor Carl Milles. 

reflecting pool

Naiad fountain

As you continue toward the house, you enter the Inner Garden, enclosed by the house, a beech tunnel, and a walled knot garden. This is the oldest garden at Wethersfield, designed by Bryan J. Lynch in 1941. A grape arbor on one side creates an extension of the dining room and was used for outdoor lunches. The rill evokes Persian gardens and brings the soothing sound of water to this lovely courtyard. Borders of perennials and annuals frame the keyhole lawn. Curved steps lead to the Victorian-style knot gardens outside the Grasshopper House, named for its whimsical weathervane. Inside are grisaille murals of Wethersfield scenes painted by American artist Hight Moore. 

inner garden. photo courtesy of tcfl.org

south terrace

A linden hedge leads to the South Terrace, whose lower level offers beautiful views of Wethersfield’s hay fields. Descending one more level to the Pine Terrace, you enter a lovely shady seating area with a rectangular pool stocked with goldfish, and adorned with pots of fuschias and agapanthus. Here you also view the Palladian Arch which will bring you to the Wilderness Garden.

palladian arch

The Wilderness Garden is a woodland garden with carriage drives and trails that weave through stands of sugar maples, beech, larch and white pine underplanted with rhododendrons, mountain laurels and other blooming shrubs. Drifts of Christmas ferns, maidenhair and hay scented ferns line the trails, which are punctuated with limestone and marble statuary. These statues of animals, nymphs, centaurs and Greek gods were carved in the late 1960s and 1970s by English sculptor Peter Watts and Polish sculptor Jozef Stachura.

Wethersfield is located at 257 Pugsley Rd., Amenia, NY. At this time, the garden is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 pm and admission is temporarily waived. The trails are open daily from dawn to dusk. 

Joie de Vivre in Joyce's Garden

A bright red arbor made of a crossing shovel and a spading fork greets visitors at the entrance of Joyce Hannaford’s lush garden. Colorful flowers spill out across the road and create a cheerful welcome into this private cul-de-sac.

When Joyce and her husband, Charlie, moved into their 1923 gambrel Colonial 20 years ago, the house was barely visible behind overgrown shrubs and trees. Numerous towering pines had to be removed before any gardening could begin. Now, graceful Japanese maples, dappled willows, tricolor beeches, and specimens of Japanese umbrella pine, stewartia, and katsura allow hundreds of perennials to grow in their dappled shade. 

Joyce’s garden began with a gift of 70 daylilies from a friend who was moving across the country. Since then, Joyce’s collection has grown to about 400 plants that provide peak color for the garden in mid-July. The daylilies bloom profusely with Shasta daisies, phlox, Rudbeckia, martagon and Oriental lilies, Echinacea, and colorful annuals. Sculptural ‘Tropicanna’ cannas add texture, pattern, vivid color, and tropical flair to the borders. An elegant weeping larch draping over a small pond welcomes you to a hidden oasis behind the house. There a large elliptical flagstone fountain provides the gentle sound of trickling water for an intimate brick patio and dining area surrounded by silver Japanese pines. Clumps of Hakone grass, Solomon’s seal, hostas, epimediums, and ferns create a colorful carpet of foliage. 

Joyce, a former caterer and self-proclaimed “foodie,” designed the garden for entertaining during both the day and evening, with layers of uplights, fairy lights, and pathway lights that guide you through the garden. Sculptural bronze flowers illuminate the pathways, adding a magical glow to the garden after dark. A circular patio with a firepit is a favorite place for Joyce and Charlie to relax in the evening, sipping wine by the fire and chatting with passersby. 

The garden is embellished with birdhouses, tuteurs, gazing globes, arbors, and mementos of friends and travels. The whimsical stacked-stone sculptures were created by friend Jim Chudy. A pair of Sicilian ceramic heads planted with sedums brings back memories of Italy. A pathway of flagstones from Joyce’s hometown of Franconia, New Hampshire, leads into a memorial garden dedicated to her best friend, Susan. For Joyce, the garden is an exuberant labor of love, a memory book of friends and adventures past, a palette for artistic expression, and a setting for delightful celebrations.

Some of Joyce’s favorite gardening tips:

• Use compost to mulch flower beds

• Cut back perennials such as phlox, perovskia, Montauk daisy, asters and sedums in June to keep them from flopping

• Use lots of annuals in the garden for pops of color

• Fertilize pots weekly. Joyce uses Neptune’s Harvest fish emulsion

I met Joyce and Charlie on a tour of gardens in the Scottish Highlands sponsored by the Natick Garden Club. Their friendliness, humor and passions for gardening, wine and good food made the trip really fun. Joyce’s Natick, Massachusetts garden is open on the fourth weekend in July from 10 am to 4 pm, and from June to Labor Day by appointment. Admission is $15. Please contact Joyce at joycesgardennatick@gmail.com.

Joyce’s Garden is one of 140 outstanding destinations in The Garden Tourist’s New England, available here.

Boulderwoods: A Celebration of Rhododendrons

Boulderwoods in its spring glory. All photos by Joe Bruso.

Joe Bruso picked up a brochure from the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) at the Boston Flower Show 30 years ago. Rhodies were plants that he knew very little about. Today his rhododendron collection exceeds 1,500 plants. He is president of the Massachusetts Chapter, develops his own hybrids, lectures about rhododendrons, and sells plants from his home nursery.

When Joe first saw the three-acre building lot in Hopkinton, Mass., that would become his current home and garden, he realized that it would be the perfect setting for his gardening hobby. Glaciers had carved hillocks and valleys and deposited huge boulders throughout three acres of woodlands. After building their house, Joe and his wife set about clearing the lot in small chunks—digging out understory shrubs and saplings and culling trees that were diseased, short-lived, or tough competitors for other plants. The remaining red and white oaks, hickories, and white pines provide a perfect canopy for Joe’s collections of rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, and other ornamental trees that flourish in groves among the boulders. They are underplanted with drifts of trilliums, Jeffersonia, bloodroot, epimediums, jack-in-the-pulpits, and other shade lovers.

Joe’s interest in hybridizing rhododendrons grew out of his lifelong curiosity about the natural world and his education in biology and genetics. It was fueled by the American Rhododendron Society where kindred spirits engage in learning and experimentation. He joined the Species Study Group, which focuses on the 800+ rhododendron species that have been discovered worldwide. Thanks to rapid infrastructure development in Asia and advancements in genetics, new species of rhododendrons continue to be identified and added to the genera. 

Emerging rhododendron foliage in all of its variety

Joe’s particular hybridizing interest lies in big-leaf rhodies with unusual foliage—bright red leaf bracts, pigmented leaves, silvery tomentum (wooly fuzz on top of leaves), and cinnamon-colored indumentum (velvety underside). You will see hundreds of these plants throughout the garden, some as full-grown specimens, others as year-old shrublets in nursery beds. His collection also includes more than 100 straight species, with some blooming as early as March and others as late as August.

Joe Bruso, hybridizing in his garden.

Boulderwoods is open for visiting by appointment (see information below.) Large-leaf rhododendrons are always available for sale as well as a smaller selection of deciduous and evergreen azaleas, magnolias, and other woody ornamentals. I have visited many times and purchased more than a dozen of Joe’s hybrids that are thriving in my garden. This spring I also joined the Mass. Rhododendron Society to learn more about these wonderful shrubs. Why not join us? You can find more information about the Massachusetts Chapter of ARS at MassRhododendron.org.

A cross of Janet Blair x Sappho Kalmia Hill

Boulderwoods is located in Hopkinton, Mass., and open by appointment only. Contact Joe at (508) 435-8217, jpbruso@aol.com

McLaughlin Garden & Homestead: A Maine Gardener's Legacy

PHOTO BY MARTHA EMERSON

Nestled between gas stations and strip malls, the McLaughlin Garden and Homestead has been a peaceful retreat and beloved garden for decades. It began as the private home of Bernard McLaughlin, a 38-year-old army veteran who spent winters in Florida as a hotel cook and summers growing potatoes with his father in Maine. When he bought the 100-year-old farmstead with its huge barn and massive stone walls in 1936, McLaughlin set about creating an ornamental garden.

PHOTO BY MARTHA EMERSON

McLaughlin was a self-taught gardener with no formal horticultural training. He began with a bare, unproductive pasture, and over the decades he transformed it into a lush garden with mature trees, wildflower borders, and shrub collections. He read voraciously, joined plant societies, and befriended other gardeners. Mostly he learned by tending the garden single-handedly for almost 60 years. Lilacs were one of McLaughlin’s favorite plants, and he planted 200 lilac bushes of 125 varieties in his garden. He added specimen trees and underplanted them with hostas, coral bells, lily of the valley, columbines, and ferns. Over the years, many of them naturalized to form breathtaking swaths. In sunny areas he created beds of daylilies, irises, and phlox, and he planted a border of Maine wildflowers and ferns along an old shady lane behind the barn.

LADY’S SLIPPERS, PULMONARIA AND WOODLAND PHLOX—PHOTO BY MARTHA EMERSON

“DEAN OF MAINE GARDENS” MCLAUGHLIN

DODECATHEON (SHOOTING STAR) IN THE WILDFLOWER WALK—PHOTO BY MARTHA EMERSON

McLaughlin’s generosity was legendary. Whenever his garden gate was open (which was almost always), the garden was open to visitors—neighbors, friends, and strangers. He loved to talk and teach others about gardening and earned the nickname “Dean of Maine Gardeners.” He was a plant collector who loved to share his plants with other gardeners and received many back in return. A member of the Maine Iris Society, he befriended hybridizer Currier McEwen, who named a Siberian iris with large ruffled white flowers in his honor. 

iris Siberia ‘Bernard McLaughlin’

TRILLIUMS AND BLEEDING HEARTS—PHOTO BY MARTHA EMERSON

 When McLaughlin died at the age of 98 in 1995, the community was amazed to find that no plans had been made to preserve the garden. A group of local residents formed the nonprofit McLaughlin Foundation and raised funds to purchase the property in 1997. With the help of volunteers, the foundation has been restoring and enhancing the garden and keeping it open to the public free of charge. Two of the best times to visit the garden are in early May when the spring ephemerals bloom–trilliums, bloodroot, mayapples, Uvularia, and primroses—and late May when the lilac collection is at its peak. Please check the garden’s website for an opening date for 2020.

PHOTO BY MARTHA EMERSON

PHOTO BY MARTHA EMERSON

McLaughlin Garden & Homestead, 97 Main St., South Paris, ME 04281, (207) 743-8820, mclaughlingarden.org

Please check website for opening days and hours. Admission is free.

Garden of Tropical Delights: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Located on the shore of Sarasota Bay, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the study and conservation of epiphytes—or air plants—like orchids, bromeliads and gesneriads.

Bill and Marie Selby came to Sarasota from Ohio, and built a modest 2-story Spanish-style house in the early 1920s. Despite their enormous wealth from oil and mining industries, the couple lived a quiet, unpretentious life, and became active philanthropists in the community. They both loved the outdoors–boating, fishing and riding, and Marie was consumed with nature and gardening. She designed the landscape around their home, and was a founding member of Sarasota’s garden club. When she passed away in 1971, she left her property to the community as a botanical garden.

photo courtesy of business observer

A visit to the Selby Gardens usually begins with a tour of the Tropical Conservatory filled with thousands of exotic, colorful plants. It takes seven on-site greenhouses to supply the Conservatory with blooming specimens. These greenhouses hold the most concentrated collection of epiphytes in the world, including 6,000 orchids, and you can enjoy the annual orchid show in February and March. From the Conservatory, you pass through a bonsai collection, the cycad garden and a fern garden.

Marie planted several bamboo groves in the garden, primarily to hide unwanted views.

The Koi Pond and Waterfall is one of the loveliest spots in the garden. Shaded by surrounding trees and accented with statuary, this garden is a serene retreat.

Past the Selby House you will find an impressive stand of Banyan trees that were planted in 1939, and an immense Moreton Bay Fig, with buttress roots that form a maze around its base. This grove of trees is the centerpiece of the Children’s Rainforest Garden, complete with waterfall, canopy walk, rope bridge, grass huts, and a play research station.

Winding trails lead through a cactus and succulent garden, palm grove, hardwood hammock, and native plantings.

Since Selby Gardens is located on a peninsula, there are lovely views of the bay with seating areas where you can relax and enjoy the view. A wooden walkway leads through native red, white and black mangroves, which are critical to Florida’s ecosystem and prevent erosion of the shoreline. 

Next to the Payne Mansion, which houses the Museum of Botany & the Arts, you will find a bromeliad garden, butterfly garden, and an edible garden. 

Wonderful as a public garden, Selby is even more impressive as a research institution. Since its founding, Selby botanists have participated in more than 200 expeditions to study and collect plants. Genetic properties of plants are studied in its molecular lab. Selby’s Herbarium contains more than 113,000 dried specimens, and the Spirit Collection contains more than 28,000 vials of orchids and gesneriads preserved in fluid. The Selby Research Library holds thousands of books, journals, prints and digital images documenting plant systematics, evolutions, horticulture and economic botany. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota, FL 34236, (941) 366-5731 selby.org

Newport's Blue Garden

The most coveted invitation of the 1913 Newport summer season was for the Masque of the Blue Garden, an inaugural soiree for the magnificent garden created for Arthur Curtiss James and his wife, Harriet Parsons James.

Three hundred guests were greeted by Harriet James, who was clad in a blue 16th-century Italian gown embroidered with sapphires and amethysts and crowned with an ornate diamond-studded headdress. After an Italianate pageant staged by professional entertainers, a trumpeter led guests into the James mansion for dinner and dancing.

Arthur Curtiss James made his fortune in copper and the railroads. A private man and one of America’s least-known millionaires, he was happiest sailing his yacht on the sea. Harriet was a vivacious socialite who enjoyed entertaining, fine homes, and beautiful gardens.

When the Jameses built their Newport mansion, Harriet hired Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. to design a secret garden in a monochromatic color palette of blue. Flowers in ethereal shades of sapphire, azure, periwinkle, purple, violet, lavender, gray, and white reflected the sky and surrounding ocean. To keep the garden looking fresh from spring through fall, the beds were replanted several times each year by a staff of 40 gardeners. With its graceful design and signature color scheme, the Blue Garden became a Newport showplace and the site of lavish parties and garden tours. 

After both Jameses died in 1941, maintenance of the Blue Garden suffered. In 1967, the mansion was devastated by fire and demolished, and the property was subdivided into house lots and sold. The once-glorious Blue Garden disappeared under a thick covering of invasive trees and vines.

Dorrance Hamilton

In 2012 philanthropist, preservationist, and horticulturist Dorrance Hamilton funded the restoration of the garden. Hamilton was an important member of Newport society, a benefactor of Blithewold and the Philadelphia and Newport Flower Shows, and a neighbor of the Blue Garden.

Completed in 2015, the renovation of the Blue Garden reflects Olmsted’s design intent but utilizes a 21st-century plant palette that allows for simplified maintenance.

Enclosed by low walls, trellises, and a columned pergola, the Blue Garden is classical in layout with a cruciform shape. A long reflecting pool, lined with Persian-inspired blue tiles and fine spray jets, is connected with a runnel to a square lily pond.

Boxwood, Caryopteris, and ‘Twist-n-Shout’ lacecap hydrangeas provide structure, while beds of mixed perennials, annuals, and bulbs create a long season of bloom. You will find perennial salvias, balloon flowers, phlox, monkshood, asters, false indigo, and delphiniums augmented with annual bachelor buttons, lantanas, morning glories, plumbago, lobelias, and agapanthus. Cobalt blue ceramic pots accent the plantings. The Blue Garden is once again a showplace in Newport thanks to the creativity and dedication of two amazing women.

Excerpted from The Garden Tourist’s New England by Jana Milbocker.

The Blue Garden, Newport, RI 02919, thebluegarden.org

Hours: June 13–Oct.10: 11 am & 2 pm, by appointment only. Admission: $15, online tickets required

Holiday Events 2019

November and December offer amazing holiday displays and fun events for gardeners in the Northeast. From beautiful light displays to Christmas teas and train shows, you will find a wealth of inspiration for your own holiday celebrations. Below is just a sampling. If your organization has an event that is not listed, please feel free to add it in the Comments.

Christmas at the Newport Mansions

Newport Mansions, Newport, MA
November 23 - January 1

The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House are once again decorated with thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, evergreens, and wreaths. Thirty decorated Christmas trees reflecting individual room decor anchor many of the magnificent spaces. Dining tables set with period silver and china complete the elegant setting. Windows of each mansion are lit with individual white candles, in keeping with the colonial tradition. 

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Hill-Stead Holiday Boutique

Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT
December 7–8

Find unique holiday gifts and support local artists and artisans.

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Hildene Holidays

Hildene, Manchester, VT
December 5–January 1

The Lincoln home is decorated for Christmas throughout the month as they might have done when they stayed at Hildene through the holidays in 1912. Musicians will play the Lincolns' 1908 Aeolian organ and Steinway piano.

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Festival of Trees and Snow Village

Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Elm Bank, Wellesley, MA
November 29-December 15

The Festival of Trees, displayed in the Hunnewell Building, offers beautifully decorated holiday trees that are donated and decorated by local businesses, garden clubs, and individuals. Snow Village is an enchanting display of model trains winding through villages and vignettes, including Christmas in the Boston, Fenway Park, and hundreds of decorated houses and lights. Visitors can also enjoy the decorated buildings and grounds at The Gardens at Elm Bank with a stroll or a horse-drawn wagon ride. For the young at heart, there are Santa Visits and other activities.

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Yuletide at Winterthur

Winterthur, Winterthur, DE
November 23–January 5

Each delightful room on this year’s Yuletide Tour tells a story reflecting the ways in which Americans have celebrated the winter holiday season from the 1800s to the present.  Kids of all ages will delight in magical Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes; a remarkable 18-room dollhouse mansion filled with nearly 1,000 miniatures and fully decorated for Christmas; and a display of antique Santas and figures of the mischievous Belsnickel, a gift giver from German folklore who is closely related to Ol’ Saint Nick. Of special note is the majestic dried flower tree, on view in the Conservatory and featuring some 60 varieties of flowers.

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Holiday Train Show

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
November 23–January 26

Marvel at G-scale locomotives humming past 175 New York landmarks on nearly a half-mile of track. This year’s exhibition showcases Lower Manhattan—the birthplace of New York City—featuring the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and iconic skyscrapers sharing the spotlight among old and new favorites. Making their debut this year are One World Trade Center and the historic Battery Maritime Building along with two vintage ferry boats.

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Winter Lights

Naumkeag, Stockbridge, MA
Thursdays-Sundays beginning Nov. 21, 5-8 pm

Enjoy the spectacular garden of Naumkeag lit with thousands of shimmering holiday lights. Each weekend features performances and activities for the whole family, from the young to the young at heart. 

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Gardens Aglow

Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, MA
November 29 - December 29

Heritage’s expansive gardens will be aglow with beautiful light displays, extensive indoor holiday décor and numerous activities around the grounds and galleries.

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Christmas at the Fells

The Fells, Newbury, NH
November 2–9

During this holiday Decorator Showhouse, The Fells is transformed by interior designers, floral artists and decorators. On weekends, enjoy lunch and a holiday gift boutique.

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Night Lights: Winter Reimagined

Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston, MA
November 29 - December 30

Outside, visitors have the opportunity to marvel at glittering lights displayed throughout 15 acres of formal gardens. Inside, you can see trees decorated with hand-made, nature-inspired ornaments, a model train village, and two conservatories brimming with subtropical plants and seasonal music.

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Gardens Aglow

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME
December 14–31

New England’s biggest and brightest light display! With over 650,000 lights, the central gardens are transformed into an extravaganza of festive lights in a dramatic display of brilliant color.

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Christmas at Blithewold

Blithewold, Bristol, RI
November 23 - January 1

Every year, Blithewold transforms into a dazzling display celebrating the magic of Christmas. Each room of the Mansion is filled with elaborate holiday decorations, and the gardens become a glimmering winter wonderland! Enjoy a winter marketplace, holiday teas and musical performances.

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Winter Lights

Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, Canton, MA
Weekends November 21–December 29

Enjoy the holidays with thousands of shimmering lights in the garden, scavenger hunts, crafts and refreshments.

Kykuit: The Rockefeller Estate

October is a lovely time to visit gardens that have strong architectural features and autumn leaf color. Kykuit in Westchester County, New York, offers beautiful architecture, stunning views, and world-class artwork.

photo from hudsonvalley.org

The Kykuit estate was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family and features a grand mansion, beautiful gardens, extraordinary art, and spectacular scenery. It has been meticulously maintained for more than 100 years, and is a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Kykuit is accessible by formal tours only. There are four to choose from, ranging from 1-½  to 3 hours in length, depending on how much you would like to see of the mansion;, the Coach Barn, with its collections of classic automobiles and horse-drawn carriages; and the gardens. Only the Landmark Tour and Grand Tour offer access to all of the gardens.

Kykuit, Dutch for “lookout” and pronounced “kie-kit”, is situated on the highest point in the hamlet of Pocantico Hills, overlooking the Hudson River at Tappan Zee. It has a view of the New York City skyline, 25 miles to the south. The imposing mansion, built of local stone and topped with the Rockefeller emblem, is located centrally in a 250-acre gated inner compound within the larger Rockefeller family estate. 

The 40-room mansion was built in 1908 by John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, and the richest man in America in his day. The initial plans for the property were developed by the company of Frederick Law Olmsted. Rockefeller was unhappy with their work, however, and assumed control of the design himself. He created several scenic winding roads and lookouts and transplanted mature trees to realize his vision. 

John D. Rockefeller with his family. John D. junior is standing in the back.

In 1906, the oversight of the house and grounds was given to son John, who hired landscape architect William Welles Bosworth. Kykuit is considered Bosworth’s best work in the United States. The design is loosely based on traditional Italian gardens, with strong axes, terraces, fountains, pavilions, and classical ornamentation. The terraced gardens include a Morning Garden, Grand Staircase, Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, Japanese-style brook, Japanese Teahouse, loggia, large Oceanus fountain, Temple of Aphrodite, and a semicircular rose garden. With stairways leading you from one level to the next, the garden invites movement and views.

John Rockefeller planned to use the house only in spring and fall, so trees were selected for their spring bloom, such as cherries and dogwoods, or for their autumn leaf color, such as the Japanese maples. Wisteria is one of the prevailing plants that ties the garden together—you first see it on the front façade of the house, and then it reappears on walls and pergolas throughout the garden. Fountains are another signature element, from the replica of a Boboli Gardens fountain with a 30-foot statue of Oceanus that greets you in the forecourt, to 39 other fountains that punctuate the garden rooms. The inner garden has a Moorish theme, with a canal and a small fountain featuring a sculpted fountainhead and bronze swans. The gardens, which took over seven years to install, were completed in 1915, and exceeded their budget of $30,000 by one million dollars. 

Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the last private owner of Kykuit, transformed its basement passages into a major private art gallery containing paintings by Picasso, Chagall, and Warhol, as well as extraordinary Picasso tapestries. Between 1935 and the late 1970s Governor Rockefeller added more than 120 works of abstract and modern sculpture to the gardens, including works by Picasso, Brancusi, Appel, Arp, Calder, Moore, and Giacometti. He precisely and skillfully sited the art to complement the classical formality of the garden and create stunning views. Their inclusion in the garden elevated it from a beautiful classic garden to an extraordinary experience of architecture, horticulture, and art.

Photo from nymetroparents.com

photo from vitsitwestchesterny.com

Kykuit, 381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591 , (914) 366-6900, hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit

Hours: Oct: daily except Tues. Nov. 1–13: Thurs.–Sun., some holidays. Admission: Tours $25 and up

Mytoi: A Serene Island Garden

There are few Japanese gardens in New England, so it is unusual to find one gracing the tiny island of Chappaquiddick for almost 70 years. In 1954 Mary Wakeman purchased land in Chappaquiddick for a summer home, and hired Edgartown architect Hugh Jones to design her a Japanese-style house. As payment, she sold him a 3-acre parcel across the road from her house for $1.

Jones had developed a love of Japanese gardens during his military service. He began his own Japanese-style garden by scooping out a pond in the midst of the pitch pine forest, and building a little red bridge. He planted rhododendrons, azaleas and junipers. He did all of the landscaping and planting himself, and spent so much time on his garden that he referred to it as his "toy." He named the garden "my toy," which he spelled “M-Y-T-O-I” as we see it today.

When Jones died in 1965, his heirs sold the property back to Wakeman, who managed the garden and provided free access to the public. She donated the garden along with an endowment and an additional 11 acres of land to the Trustees in 1976.

When Hurricane Bob descended on Chappaquiddick in 1991, it decimated more than 70% of the plantings. Only a few of the original pitch pines, azaleas and rhododendrons survived the onslaught. The Trustees hired the team of Don Sibley and Julie Moir Messervy to develop and implement a reconstruction plan. Sibley is an artist with a strong interest in Japanese culture and gardening practices. Messervy is a renowned landscape designer who studied in Japan and was the first Western woman to be apprenticed to a Japanese master gardener.

Stewartia blossom in July

The new Mytoi garden is divided into Japanese-inspired garden rooms, with Asian plants and traditional Japanese garden elements. The entry gate is modeled after one you would find at a Japanese temple, but crafted from local black locust trees. As you stroll through the garden, you find azaleas and rhododendrons from the original garden, complemented by new birch alles, Stewartias, threadleaf maples, mountain laurels, camellias, and paths lined with Japanese primroses.

The pond is still there, but with a new zigzag-shaped bridge bordered by winterberry and beach plum. On a hill opposite the pond, a path leads to the azumaya, or traditional shelter where one would wait before entering a teahouse. A second hill topped with a bench provides a serene view of the water. The pond is stocked with koi, but due to local otters and osprey, the fish supply has to be supplemented with fresh donations every year. Mytoi invites you to slow down, to appreciate the nuances of Japanese design, and to contemplate the beauty of nature.

Hours: Daily dawn to dusk, admission $3

Mytoi, 41 Dike Rd., Edgartown, MA 02539, (508) 627-7689

Osborne Homestead Museum: The Home and Garden of an Extraordinary Woman

By today’s standards, Frances Osborne Kellogg was an extraordinary woman. By the standards of the late 1800s, she was a force of nature—a successful industrialist, cattle breeder, philanthropist, and conservationist. When her father died in 1907 and the probate judge suggested that his companies be sold so that the family could live off the profits and Frances could go to college, the 31-year old young heiress replied, “Sell them? No. I intend to run them.”

A gifted violinist from an early age, Frances was expected to study music in college. She loved attending opera, theater and musical concerts in New York City. But an accident with a sewing needle damaged her eyesight, and Frances’ life took a different direction. Her father had taught her how to run the family business, and Frances took on the unusual challenge as a woman CEO of four different companies. All of them prospered under her leadership.

When she married New York architect Waldo Stewart Kellogg in 1919, the couple’s focus became the family dairy. The Kelloggs developed a reputation for their selective cattle-breeding program. As the family fortune grew, Frances invested in her community, supporting local organizations and building the Derby Neck Library.

Derby Neck Library

Waldo enlarged and remodeled the house in the Colonial Revival style in the 1920s, and Frances added the ornamental gardens. She had a deep love of flowers from childhood, and enjoyed attending annual flower shows in New York City. In 1910 she hired Yale architect Henry Killam Murphy to design her formal flower garden, and employed Robert Barton from Kew Gardens as her head gardener. 

French doors lead from the house and conservatory to this lovely garden, which is also visible from the street. The garden is bisected by a white trellis fence accented with red roses, purple clematis, and yellow honeysuckle. A central arbor provides benches where you can sit and enjoy the beauty and scents of the flowers. One half of the garden is dedicated to Frances’s favorite flower, the rose. Four rectangular rose beds are enclosed by long borders of old-fashioned favorites such as foxgloves, irises, goats beard, and salvias. The other half of the garden is a formal perennial garden of bearded iris, peonies, daylilies and sedums. Four beds of standard roses, weigela and boxwood surround a circular bed accentuated with a sundial.

The garden is bordered on one side by a long stone wall, with steps that lead to beds of lilacs and other ornamental shrubs and trees. On the slope above the formal gardens, a rock garden has been created with conifers, ferns and perennials. Peak time to see the garden is mid May to mid June.

Frances’ love of gardening and nature continued throughout her lifetime. She was an active member of local garden societies, and became a sponsor of the Connecticut College Arboretum. As her interest in conservation grew, she became the first female vice chair of the Conn. Forest and Park Association. Frances lived in the family home until her death in 1956. Before she died, she deeded her entire estate to the State of Connecticut, including 350 acres for Osborndale State Park.

Photo courtesy of Connecticut Weekender

In addition to the garden, you can tour the restored historic home with its collection of original furnishings, antiques, ceramics, artwork and personal mementos. Frances’ doll still rests on her childhood bed and the opera cape that she wore to performances at the Met is draped over a settee.

Osborne Homestead Museum, 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby, CT 06418, (203) 734-2513
Hours: May 5–Oct. 28: Thurs.–Fri. 10–3, Sat. 10–4, Sun. 12–4