Dutchess County Gardens to Visit this Spring

Date Published: June 30, 2020

Beatrix Farrand Garden at Bellefield, Hyde Park

Beatrix Farrand, one of America's first female landscape architects, created these enclosed formal gardens in 1912. The garden is well known for its lush perennial borders composed of Farrand's signature plants in a sophisticated color scheme, and is set off by vine-traced walls and clipped hemlock hedges. Visitors must only enter from the Bellefield porch and ADA ramp on the northeast corner of the house. Open every day from 7 a.m. until dusk. Free admission. Located at the National Park Service headquarters on Rt. 9, Hyde Park. More info: www.beatrixfarrandgardenhydepark.org

Blithewood Garden at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson

The Blithewood estate has great architectural significance, as it was one of the earliest to emphasize the natural setting as much as, if not more than, the house. The estate and its grounds garnered national attention due to the prominence of the original designers: Alexander Jackson Davis, an influential architect; owner Robert Donaldson, a patron of the arts and frequent Davis collaborator; and Andrew Jackson Downing, a renowned landscape designer. For Downing, Blithewood fully embodied the unity of man-made design and nature. The main axis of the sunken, rectangular garden and its terraces terminates at a pavilion overlooking the Hudson River with sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains. Open from sunrise to sunset. Free admission. Located on the Bard College campus on Blithewood Ave., Annandale-on-Hudson. More info: www.bard.edu/arboretum/gardens/blithewood/

Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown

Wooded hideaways, century-old gardens and exquisite views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains await at the tip of Dutchess County. The over 500 acre-estate features four gardens: the South Spring Garden, the Cutting Garden, the Walled Garden - influenced by gardens in Florence, Italy, and the Wilderness Garden – with the fishpond as its centerpiece. Five miles of marked nature trails. Open 8:30 a.m. to sunset. Free admission - vehicle fee Saturdays, Sundays, and Monday holidays from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Located at 1 Clermont Ave., Germantown. More info: www.friendsofclermont.org/

Innisfree Garden, Millbrook

A 150-acre public garden that’s all about the individual’s experience in nature, Innisfree is the work of landscape artist Lester Collins, with important contributions by his clients, artist and teacher Walter Beck and Gardener and heiress Marion Burt Beck. Visitors enjoy the many streams, waterfalls, terraces, retaining walls, rocks, and plants. The 40-acre lake is glacial, most of the plant material is native, and the rocks have come from the immediate surrounding forest. Located on 362 Tyrrel Rd., Millbrook. More info: www.InnisfreeGarden.org Photo Courtesy of Innisfree Garden 

Locust Grove Estate, Samuel Morse Historic Site, Poughkeepsie

Locust Grove’s stately trees, rolling hills, and vistas from a bluff high above the Hudson River all combine to create a grand landscape garden that preserves much of the sense of place established by Samuel Morse more than 150 years ago. After acquiring the estate from Morse’s heirs in 1895, Martha Young expanded the formal gardens and today the Cutting Garden preserves her unique style and plant collection. Learn about the wide variety of vegetables and fruits grown on the estate over the past three centuries in the restored kitchen garden. Five miles of hiking trails through the surrounding woods. Located on 2683 South Rd., Poughkeepsie. More info: www.lgny.org

*Locust Grove Estate Garden & Grounds opening May 1, 2021.

Wethersfield Estate and Gardens, Amenia

Ten acres of formal gardens are modeled after 17th-century Italian villas. Stroll the cutting garden, arborvitae alley with naiad (nymph) fountain, peacock walk, rose garden, and numerous water gardens. Enjoy the sweeping views of the Clove Valley. The garden will re-open on June 4, 2021.Trails open daily from dawn to dusk. Located on 257 Pugsley Hill Road, Amenia. More info: https://www.wethersfield.org/