Western Massachusetts Private Gardens Open to the Public, August 3

Wistarianhurst, Holyolk, MA

Garrison, NY – Private Gardens in Hampden County, MA will open for public visitation as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days™ program. Visits to these gardens will take place Saturday, August 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Descriptions of the gardens follow:

A Country Garden in the City in Springfield, Massachusetts. The backyard is divided into three small garden "rooms." Specimen trees such as a mimosa tree, a "Fern Grotto," and a small brick patio provides a homey atmosphere. The gardens are the summer home of numerous houseplants, including the owner’s prize-winning Clivia miniata. Intended to be a English Country Garden feel within an inner-city neighborhood.

Our Color-Filled Retreat in Springfield, Massachusetts. Half an acre overflowing with Itoh and tree peonies, scores of hydrangeas and David Austin roses, multicolor coneflowers, daisies, rudbeckia, and hundreds of other flowering plants and bushes surrounding multiple seating areas: pavilion, patio, firepit pergola, teak Thai bench, and multilevel decks.

Rock Valley Paradise in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The garden includes a small orchard of fifteen fruit trees, apples, peaches, plums, pears, apricots, and cherries and, seasonally, grows all five kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, eggplant, and all the other "regular veggies." You will also find a homestead that boasts two dairy goats, a dozen chickens, and a hive of honey bees.

Registration is $10 per person, or $5 for members of the Garden Conservancy. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. All registrations must be processed online through The Garden Conservancy's website. Visit gardenconservancy.org/open-days

The Garden Conservancy is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and sharing outstanding American gardens for the education and inspiration of the public. Since its founding by renowned plantsman Frank Cabot in 1989, the Conservancy has helped preserve more than 80 American gardens in 25 states. Since 1995, Garden Conservancy Open Days have provided access to hundreds of America’s finest private gardens across the country. The Conservancy’s lectures, tours, and symposia offer opportunities for engaged exploration of contemporary ideas in gardening, design, and preservation. www.gardenconservancy.org

For more information, contact: Shaoli Ghosh, Public Programs and Events Coordinator, The Garden Conservancy; 845-424-6500 or sghosh@gardenconservancy.org