Shekomeko Hillside Garden

About

Situated high in the hills overlooking Dutchess County’s Shekomeko Valley, this garden has been lovingly curated by Eileen Naughton for the past 25 years.

The site, a wheat field when the land was purchased in 1997, offers expansive views of the valley and Catskill range to the west, with more intimate garden spaces to the north, east, and south. From the outset, the house was designed to be in sympathy with the land and gardens. Working with Judy Murphy from Lakeville’s Old Farm Nursery, Eileen has expanded and refined the gardens over time.

Stone walls, privet hedges, and boxwood parterres provide structure to the different garden spaces, each variously punctuated with long runs of Sargent crab apples, viburnum, hydrangea, seasonal bulbs, and perennials.

June brings a symphony of colors—purple spikes of Salvia nemorosa, chartreuse fronds of Alchemilla mollis, lipstick-pink weigela, tulips, peonies, bearded iris, brunnera, and more.

This garden's estimated size is 3 acres.

2026 Open Day Date: Sunday, June 28

Open Day Hours: 10am–4pm