tree stained glass design flowers and tree grass

This is just a sampling of the marvelous natural offerings that make Westchester a garden lover’s delight. And don’t forget the glorious music that they offer! I particularly like the Sunken Garden and the Iris & Peony Garden. This Italian-style estate is so fun to visit because it offers an array of garden areas to savor. The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah in Northern Westchester should definitely be on your itinerary. And in spring, the flowering Japanese cherry trees gladden any garden-lover’s heart as they foretell of warmer days to come. The Japanese maples planted here are stunning, especially when they sport their colorful fall foliage.

The central feature is its naturalistic pond, ringed with irises and ferns. I love walking around this gem of an Asian-style garden. The gardens here are sweeping and include bubbling fountains, grottoes and spectacular ornamental trees such as magnolias, cherries and dogwoods, that drape over the outstanding stonework.Īnother personal favorite is Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden in North Salem. It’s a magical place that offers long views across the Hudson River. Some of my favorites within the site are groves of white birch trees, an ornamental grass garden and a bog garden with a series of rectangular pools that reflect the sky.Īnother must-visit garden is at Kykuit, the grand estate of oil tycoon John D. You can see his touch in the formal modern layout of the landscape.

It forms the extensive grounds around Pepsico’s world headquarters and was designed by a great British designer, Russell Page. To get you started on your outdoor adventure, here are my personal suggestions for garden hopping (on the rest of our map you’ll find more details about both these and other don’t-miss destinations):īegin at the amazing Kendall Sculpture Garden in Purchase. Nowhere else can you visit such varied garden destinations, all in close proximity, all in one easily traversed county.Īdd to this the diverse natural features that Westchester offers - from the splendid Hudson River Valley to the shores of Long Island Sound to inland, rocky woodlands - and you have a true garden mecca. Why is Westchester County one of the nation’s great garden tourism areas? As a professional landscape designer and avid garden visitor, I have to say that it’s our unequaled concentration of so many world-class estate, historic home and public gardens. Gardens Garden Hopping in Westchester County By Jan Johnsen

Tree stained glass design flowers and tree grass