Hudson Valley Gardens Open to the Public on June 25th to benefit the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program
COLD SPRING, NY: On Saturday, June 25th, the public is invited to tour eight private gardens in Columbia, Dutchess, and Ulster counties, participating in the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (most locations). The Open Day is rain or shine, and no reservations are required. Admission to each private garden is $7; children 12 & under are free. Call 1-888-842-2442, or visit www.opendaysprogram.org for more information.
In Dutchess County, visitors can explore Dappled Berms – The Garden of Scott VanderHamm, 74 Colburn Drive, Poughkeepsie. The garden is situated on a one-acre property within a 1950s (IBM-era) suburban community. As a result of the mature growth trees which dominate the grounds, a shade perennial garden was created and cultivated over eighteen seasons of weekend gardening. The assembled collection of plants, spread throughout numerous beds and man-made berms, relies heavily on the juxtapositions of color, texture, and form to bring interest and natural beauty to the garden. One of the highlights of the garden is the collection of more than 105 different hosta cultivars numbering more than 214 specimens, all labeled for ease of identification. The garden will host a pop-up plant sale in conjunction with Adams Fairacre Farms, including some of the same plants grown at Dappled Berms.
In Columbia County, five private gardens are open to visit, including:
- Rabbit Hill, 158 Maiers Road, Craryville (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) – many species and varieties of decorative understory trees, shrubs, shade perennials, and ground-covers are seen by strolling on a network of stone paths that interlace the woodland grove. A moss garden is contained within the grove and it is bordered by an allée planted with specimen trees and shrubs and, to the east, by “Moby Dick”, a rock outcropping, several hundred feet long, uncovered by hand digging over several years.
- Texas Hill, 411 Texas Hill Road, Hillsdale – featuring two protected courtyards, large groups of evergreen trees with island beds, and a “whatever works” mantra with regard to plant material, the owners balance a formal density near the house and a more open naturalistic or wild feeling radiating out toward the pond, the lawns, the meadows, the woods, and the view.
- The Happy, 331 Mt. Merino Road, Hudson – garden beds are laid out with modernist elements, including a striped garden with rows of perennials and shrubs. There are enclosed areas as well as open areas with far ranging views, and garden rooms have been created for specific purposes: entry, entertaining, growing food, strolling, and lounging as well as providing for nature and wildlife through food sources and habitat.
- Garden of Helen Bodian, Millerton (directions will be provided at other locations) – Helen’s garden began twenty years ago with the construction of a naturalistic rock garden, and has evolved into a series of different environments, linked together by paths that pass by a pond, through rolling fields, and connected to many woodland trails. Additional features include a traditional square border planted with large perennials and shrubs, a walled garden displaying potted greenhouse plants around a small pool, and an ornamental vegetable garden.
- Garden of Kevin Lee Jacobs, 3007 Main Street, Valatie – Kevin Lee Jacobs is a cookbook author, a serious gardener, and creator of the well-known website “A Garden for the House.” His house is on the National Register of Historic Places, and he has designed numerous gardens on his urban property, including a woodland Garden, a winding serpentine Garden, two kitchen gardens, and a formal boxwood garden.
In Ulster County, two private gardens are open to visit, including:
- Teri Condon – Gardensmith Design, 50 Hillside Avenue, Highland – nestled in an old apple orchard with a view of the Shawangunk Ridge, this intricate garden is comprised of intimate spaces and surprises in unexpected places. Garden designer, Teri Condon and sculptor Richard Gottlieb have combined their talents creating a feast for your eyes.
- Springtown Farmden, 387 Springtown Road, New Paltz – garden writer Lee Reich’s private garden features emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and nut trees, with uncommon varieties such as pawpaws, persimmons, gooseberries, currants, and medlars.
Additional Hudson Valley Open Days take place on July 3 in Pawling, July 9 in Amenia; July 17 in Canaan, New Lebanon, and Spencertown; July 23 in Phoenicia, Saugerties, and Willow; July 30 in Millbrook and Millerton, August 6 in Rhinebeck and Tivoli; August 20 in Copake Falls, Hudson, and Valatie; September 24 in Clinton Corners, Millbrook, and Standfordville; and October 15 in Pawling.
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 eighteen states and costs $25.95 including shipping. Visit www.opendaysprogram.org or call the Garden Conservancy toll-free at 1-888-842-2442 to order with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express, or send a check or money order to: the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516. Discount admission tickets are available as well through advanced mail order.
The Garden Conservancy created the Open Days program in 1995 as a means of introducing the public to gardening, providing easy access to outstanding examples of design and horticultural practice, and proving that exceptional American gardens are still being created. Its mission to share American gardens with the public is achieved each season, through the work of hundreds of private garden hosts and volunteers nationwide. Digging Deeper, a new series of Open Days programming, is designed to offer a deeper look into the gardening world through immersive experiences with artists, designers, gardeners, authors and other creative professionals. The Open Days program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program. For information and a complete schedule of Open Days visit the Garden Conservancy online atwww.opendaysprogram.org.
