A couple of weeks ago, I participated in the Garden Conservancy Hudson Valley tour. It was my first time to the region and I was so excited to see the area, having heard of its beauty for years. These trips are always a fun way to reconnect with the great GC Fellows from around the country whom I’ve come to know from previous trips.
View from the lawn of Boscobel House and Gardens
We saw a combination of public and private gardens and learned about the many preservation projects going on throughout the valley. The area is rich in its historical roots and the community is actively preserving its heritage.
GC preservation project Blithewood Garden at Bard College
We arrived at just the right time to several beautiful flowers blooming: irises, peonies, roses, allium, lilac, clematis, baptisia, bleeding hearts, rhododendrons, dogwoods and clematis…
Katie’s show-stopping orange irises and Giant Allium
Bleeding Hearts in a woodland garden
We saw meadows in several of the gardens, learning that these seemingly simple spanses of greenery are some of the most complex gardens to create and maintain. Meadows are curated from cocktails of wildflowers and plants to produce just the right mixture of plants for the desired effect. And regular weeding is required!
Some of my favorite discoveries were the woodland gardens in many places we visited, complete with shade-loving plants, meandering pathways and gorgeous trees.
Meandering path through a woodland garden
Stonecrop was a real highlight of our trip, as it was the former home of Frank Cabot who founded the Garden Conservancy. His life’s work is on display in every inch of this property. Fortunately it is being well maintained today, true to Frank’s original intent. Caroline Burgess, the enthusiastic head gardener who worked with Frank and has been there for 30 years, is providing all of the continuity required to ensure this garden remains the spectacular destination that it is today.
Greenhouse at Stonecrop, former home of GC Founder Frank Cabot and his wife, Anne
It turns out that edible gardens are a rich part of the Hudson Valley story and nearly every garden we visited had some version of an edible garden. One particular property we visited had the largest vegetable garden I have ever seen in a private garden. Below is just one section of the garden, but there were several more. The question, of course, is what does one do with all of these vegetables?!? I know I have challenges using up all of my own vegetables and these quantities are exponentially greater than mine!
Part of a private vegetable garden containing mostly greens
The one unifying theme for nearly all gardens was the views – of the Hudson River and surrounding hills, the meadows and borrowing scenery or the backdrop of greenery. Nearly every garden and property had a memorable view of some sort. How each owner and landscape designer chose to highlight or leverage those views was unique.
Stunning view of the Hudson River
This tour was a memorable one for the great traveling companions and for the many things I saw for the first time. Thank you to the Garden Conservancy for a wonderful trip!
