Skatutakee Farm

About

The gardens surround Hancock’s first house, built in 1778 by the town clerk, Jonathan Bennett. The farmhouse plantings are informal and blend into surrounding fields and woods.

On each side of the old front door are beds reminiscent of Colonial gardens, flanked by plantings of old roses and nepeta. Behind the 1970 kitchen wing is a 48-foot-long

koi pond designed by landscape architect Diane McGuire and planted with lotuses, irises, and water lilies.

McGuire also laid out the perennial bed and woodland border planted with witch hazel, azaleas, snakeroot, and Rodgersia.

The AIA-award-winning screened porch was designed by Dan Scully. A pair of 200-year-old granite Korean rams graze on the back lawn.

Walking beyond the borders, one comes to a bog garden surrounded by marsh marigolds, skunk cabbage, and sedges. A trail of cardinal flowers brightens the wetland beyond. In the field below the terraced potager are two beds planted heavily in pollinators for late arrival of Monarch butterflies.

This garden's estimated size is 2 acres.

This Garden Host reports the following Terrain Notes about the garden: Wheelchair access is possible, but limited. There are terraces, uneven ground, and staircases throughout the property, and assistance is not available.

2026 Open Day Date: Sunday, June 7

Open Day Hours: 10am–4pm