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Most of the gardens, which are located in Amenia in New York and Washington and West Cornwall in Connecticut, are set to be open for the event from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
They include:
- Jade Hill – Garden of Paul Arcario & Don Walker, 13 Lake Amenia Road, Amenia, N.Y.: According to organizers, this garden began as a rocky hillside that was mostly lawn. Jade Hill has since grown into a stroll garden designed to be a tapestry of texture and color. Favorite plantings include Japanese maples, conifers, a bamboo grove, a rose garden, a gold-themed garden viewed from a cantilevered “Oriental” pavilion and goldfish and lotus ponds.
- Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road, Washington, Conn.: Situated around an 18th century farmhouse, this romantic, country garden features exuberant plantings set in rambling formal structure noted for its subtle (and sometimes surprising) color combinations. Reminiscent of such classic English gardens as Great Dixter and Sissinghurst, the Hollister House Garden is divided into a series of rooms that open to vistas over the garden and out onto the natural landscape beyond, according to organizers.
- Garden of Michael Trapp, 7 River Road, West Cornwall, Conn.: This old world-style garden is intimate with cobbled paths, terraced gardens, raised perennial beds and reflecting pools. Overlooking the Housatonic River, the property has a distinct French/Italian flavor, according to organizers.
- Garden of Jane Garmey, 106 Cogswell Road, West Cornwall, Conn. (1-5 p.m.): An idiosyncratic garden that began to take shape about 12 years ago and surrounds an 1827 house, featuring two long beds, planted for drama and height with perennials, grasses, and annuals; a small kitchen garden; a boxwood parterre; a formal arrangement of weeping cherry trees; a long water rill; and a bird house village set in a glade of giant petasitis.
According to organizers, entrance to the private gardens costs $7, which will benefit the Garden Conservancy. Children 12 and under are free. Discount admission tickets are available as well through advanced mail order.
The event, part of the Conservancy’s Open Days program, is open during rain and shine with no reservation required, according to organizers. For more information, call 1-888-842-2442 or find the Open Days program online.
All Open Days gardens are featured in the 2016 Open Days Directory, a soft-cover book that includes detailed driving directions and vivid garden descriptions written by their owners. The directory includes garden listings in 18 states and costs $25.95 including shipping.
See the garden's website or call 1-888-842-2442 to order with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Checks or money orders can be sent to: the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, N.Y. 10516.
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