2024 Fairfield, Litchfield, Berkshire, and Dutchess County’s Press Release
Lagniappe Garden, Roxbury, CT
Fairfield, Litchfield, Berkshire, and Dutchess County’s Finest Private Gardens Open to the Public, July 27
Garrison, NY — Eight private gardens across Fairfield and Litchfield Counties, CT, Berkshire County, MA, and Dutchess County, NY will be open for public visitation as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days Program.™ All gardens will open on Saturday July 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The gardens include:
Gribble-Cooke Garden in Sherman, CT. Spanning 3-4 acres, this garden features a south facing meadow and the early formation of a Rhododendron Dell. Behind the house is a formal crescent garden hedged with trimmed linden trees, and rock gardens are up the hill to the west.
Sculpturedale in Kent, CT. Sculpturedale is a garden of 4 acres surrounding a house built in 1776 with barns and outbuildings. The garden is home to a large variety of perennials, shrubs, and trees to enjoy in all seasons. No deer fencing and no irrigation mean natives and organics rule.
Juniper Ledge in Lakeville, CT. Juniper Ledge Garden faces south on a gently sloping hillside. It's a garden for gentle meandering with benches along the way for periods of rest and appreciating views. It also features a tennis pavilion, a secluded meditation garden, and a tended, but natural, meadow.
Garden of Jeffrey A Steele in Ashley Falls, MA. This garden has been created over the last twenty-five years to complement a small Greek Revival house with views and focal points throughout. A series of seven connected circles contain formal and informal side gardens of favorite plants, particularly hostas and daffodils.
Lithgow Cottage Farm in Millbrook, NY. A shrubbery on a berm between the road and front lawn leads down to a playhouse and mowed path around the pond, where aquatic plants and shrubby willows skim the perimeter to attract birds. This garden, with an estimated size of 1 acre, also features a mini-rock garden, trough collection, and a fountain created by a local sculptor.
Highgrove Cottage in Millerton, NY. This garden, atop the beautiful Smithfield Valley in the heart of the Millbrook Hunt Country. The owner’s fashion background reflects in the mix of color from an array of roses, crocosmia, Russian sage, Allium 'Globemaster', lilies, phlox, and many more among stone and cast-iron sculptures and stone walls. A peach and apple espalier are featured against a charming cottage.
Fueling America’s passion for gardens, the Garden Conservancy Open Days™ program is the only nationwide garden visiting program. Since 1995, Open Days has welcomed more than 1.4 million visitors into thousands of inspired private landscapes—from urban rooftops to organic farms, historic estates, to innovative suburban lots—in 41 states.
Registration is $10 per person, or $5 for members of the Garden Conservancy. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. All registrations must be processed online through The Garden Conservancy's website. Visit gardenconservancy.org/open-days.
The Garden Conservancy is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and sharing outstanding American gardens for the education and inspiration of the public. Since its founding by renowned plantsman Frank Cabot in 1989, the Conservancy has helped preserve more than 80 American gardens in 25 states. Since 1995, Garden Conservancy Open Days have provided access to hundreds of America’s finest private gardens across the country. The Conservancy’s lectures, tours, and symposia offer opportunities for engaged exploration of contemporary ideas in gardening, design, and preservation.www.gardenconservancy.org
For more information, contact: Shaoli Ghosh, Public Programs and Events Coordinator, The Garden Conservancy; 845-424-8500 or sghosh@gardenconservancy.org