On Wednesday, July 9th, six private gardens in Chilmark, Edgartown, and West Tisbury will open to the public through the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program, at 10 a.m. (ending times vary). The Open Day is rain or shine, and no reservations are required. Admission to each private garden is $7 or $35 for a day pass to all six gardens; children 12 & under free. Call 1-888-842-2442, or visit www.opendaysprogram.org for more information.
Visitors may begin the Open Day at any of the following locations:
- Brookside Farm, 12 Middle Road, Chilmark; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – pond, pastures, and stone walls define the property of trees, shrubs, a rose border, and perennials including phlox, gaura, and Joe pye weed in summer; farm animals include horses and oxen.
- Norris Garden, 19 Blueberrry Ridge Lane, Chilmark; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – includes plant species collections of rhodies, Japanese maples and hydrangeas, with smaller groupings of mountain laurels and tree peonies, as well as a grove of tupelo trees with shade-loving plants beneath, and a “nursery” area with more than 200 seedlings and plants in wait.
- 85 South Water Street, Edgartown; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – features a sunken garden in the shape of a Union Jack, designed more than fifty years ago, as well as later additions by garden designer Penelope Hobhouse, with rare, unusual, and native plants.
Garden of John & Judith Tankard, 16 School Street, Edgartown; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. –- The Folly, 57 Lamberts Cove Road, West Tisbury; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – evoking an Italian villa, the property features varied grades and contours, curves and textures, a mix of native plants among non-native, stonework, views around every corner, and a mix of formality within an informal context.
- Helman Garden, Edgartown (directions will be provided at all other locations); 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – a walled garden designed for privacy and to complement the natural beauty of the landscape; formal bones of geometric beds contain a mix of flowers, herbs, and vegetables that change from year to year.
Open Days gardens are featured in the 2014 Open Days Directory; a soft-cover book that includes detailed driving directions and vivid descriptions written by their owners. The directory includes garden listings in twenty-two states and costs $25.95 including shipping. Visit www.opendaysprogram.org or call the Garden Conservancy toll-free at 1-888-842-2442 to order with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express, or send a check or money order to: the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516. Discount admission tickets are available as well through advanced mail order.
The Garden Conservancy introduced the Open Days program in 1995 as a means of introducing the public to gardening, providing easy access to outstanding examples of design and horticultural practice, and proving that exceptional American gardens are still being created. The Open Days program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program, and is made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers nationwide. For information, a complete schedule of Open Days, or to suggest gardens for inclusion in the program, visit the Garden Conservancy online at www.gardenconservancy.org.
