PARC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create and provide lifelong opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve success. This is their second year organizing the Secret Garden Tour to raise money for PARC programs and also to promote tourism and commerce in Putnam County.
The day started at 8:30am at the Cold Spring Farmers Market. Master Gardeners from Cornell Cooperative Extension were on hand to discuss garden ideas and techniques, plants were also on sale from Madura Farms.
The tour ran from 10:00am to 4:00pm with a surprise bonus 9th garden tour of the Chuang Yen Monastery at 11:15am followed by an affordable $5.00 vegetarian lunch. The most pleasing aspect of the tour was the warmth the homeowners and property managers bestowed upon us. They were all so friendly as if we were invited guests instead of strangers on a tour. The pride the owners felt about their homes and gardens was obvious and refreshing. I love Putnam County and going on this tour reinforced by belief that it is the best place to call home.
Every garden was unique and reflected the owner’s style and artistry.
The Lifgren/Bode Residence of Brewster was so very special with beauty at every turn. Dee Dee is an artist and her husband Jeff a carpenter. I discovered that their combination makes for an excellent garden and a harmonious home. Dee Dee was kind to everyone that strolled through her garden offering tips and explaining how her garden grew from all woods 20 years ago to the masterpiece she opened to the public. All of the sculptures, columns, the mosaic bench, and the pond Dee Dee created by hand and crafted using cement.
The Miriam Yekutiel residence in Brewster was also part of the tour. Miriam had a chance to sit down with me and discuss her passion for landscaping. Ever since Miriam was a little girl growing up in Israel, she knew she wanted to be a horticulturist. When she was twelve she asked her mother if she could go to school to study horticulture, her mother flatly decline as it wasn’t a field for women. But Miriam would not let her dream die. She came to American, went to horticulture school and became very successful in the field. ”I consider myself very, very fortunate to have a profession which is also my hobby” Miriam said with deep feeling. Her garden is also very special and unique with its various sculptures, variety of plants from all over the world, and her garden is also 100% organic. ”The idea is to show people that you don’t have to buy everything new” Miriam said when describing the use of recycled items to make sculptures and recycled furniture.
The Sheldon/Texley residence in Cold Spring was a completely different setting then the first two homes. Situated in the historic district, this 150 year old colonials garden included a beautiful in-ground pool, Roman era inspired columns and Italian Terra Cotta fountain. A perfectly preserved former schoolhouse in the backyard cleverly houses the garden equipment. This home and garden was another very nice surprise. I wanted to jump in the pool and kick back with the owners who were casually reading the Sunday paper enjoying the warm weather.
The Canfield Residence in Cold Spring was the home of a beautiful 30,000 gallon Koi Pond filled with about 40 huge and colorful Koi fish. Armand Benedek & Partners of Bedford Village designed the pond in 1990 and the rest of the gardens natural landscaped trails formed over the years. The Candfield’s welcomed each guest with a little cup of fish food so we all got a chance to see the Koi up close and personal. We were all amazed at their size and how each Koi was unique, brilliantly colored and beautiful.
Stonecrop off of Route 301 in Cold Spring was originally the home of Anne and Frank Cabot. Stonecrop became a public garden in 1992 under the direction of Caroline Burgess. As an elevation of 1,100 feet in the Hudson Highlands, Stonecrop enjoys a Zone 5 climate and has a vast variety of plant life. The display gardens cover an area of approximately 12 acres with a diverse collection of woodland and water gardens, a grass garden, raised alpine stone beds, cliff rock gardens, and an enclosed English-style flower garden. There is also a beautiful Conservatory with public access to a few cafe table where you can sit back and relax and listen to the sounds of the numerous water features and nature itself. I spent the most amount of time here because of its vast size and my desire to see and photograph at much as possible.
My favorite hidden treasure was the life-sized frog that I discovered in a gorgeous arbor made out of natural materials from the area. The architectural details were amazing as well as symmetrically balanced. Since this property is open to the public, I highly suggest you go for a visit. The plant collections and gardens hold many ideas that can be incorporated into your own gardens, and their professional staff are available and welcome any questions you may have.
For all gardening enthusiasts, the advice I heard over and over throughout the day, was that gardening takes time and nothing is written in stone. For all of you new gardeners, now is the time to be inspired. All of the gardens I visited had evolved out of woods or plain grass over a period of 10 to 15 years, so be patient and take one section at a time.
For all of you who couldn’t make the tour this year please view the gallery below of my favorite pictures. Stay turned to Localputnam.com and we will keep you posted on next year’s exciting PARC Secret Garden Tour.
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