The Garden Conservancy is delighted to announce a special Open Day on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering a rare opportunity to explore two distinguished private gardens in Dutchess County, New York: Clove Brook Farm and Bear Creek Farm. This event provides garden enthusiasts with an intimate look into inspiring landscapes and horticultural artistry.
Clove Brook Farm (Christopher Spitzmiller & Anthony Bellomo) – Millbrook, NY. Discover the enchanting Clove Brook Farm, a vibrant garden meticulously developed over seven years following the restoration of a historic Greek Revival farmhouse. Visitors will experience a series of interconnected "garden rooms," including a horseshoe-shaped garden with a dovecote and the expansive oval swimming pool garden. Both are framed by clipped hornbeam hedges and feature a late-summer spectacle of towering dahlias, alongside evolving displays of perennials, poppies, peonies, and lilies. Landscape architect Anthony Bellomo's large kitchen garden, packed with diverse vegetables, adds to the charm. Throughout the three-acre property, informal plantings, mixed shrub borders, an embellished orchard, and unique sculptures create captivating focal points. This garden’s evolution is chronicled in the book, A Year at Clove Brook Farm, with a foreword by Martha Stewart.
Bear Creek Farm – Stanfordville, NY. Immerse yourself in the extraordinary beauty of Bear Creek Farm, an award-winning flower farm renowned for its breathtaking dahlias and heirloom chrysanthemums, nestled in the rolling landscapes of Dutchess County. Spanning 7.5 acres, this property seamlessly blends expansive growing fields with thoughtfully designed garden spaces. Highlights include a 150-year-old farmhouse surrounded by limelight hydrangeas and a majestic 350-year-old sycamore, alongside a carefully restored 120-year-old barn now serving as an elegant event venue. Visitors can wander through pathways winding past fruit trees, discover vibrant Japanese anemones and peonies, and enjoy the serenity of a natural pond. A new six-acre native flower meadow project is also underway, promising future splendor.
Photo credit: Martha Fox
Both gardens offer unique insights into landscape design and cultivation, promising an unforgettable experience for all garden lovers.
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Locations:
Clove Brook Farm, Millbrook, NY
Bear Creek Farm, Stanfordville, NY
Tickets: $10 per person, per garden / $5 for Garden Conservancy members. Children under 12, free with an adult.
Register: gardenconservancy.org/opendays
