This seaside garden, just a few feet above high tide, with stunning views of the open ocean, faces nearly constant wind and salt. The garden challenges are enormous, but understanding small differences in microclimate is helpful. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to success is finding plants that can grow in these harsh conditions. Despite a limited planting palette, there are numerous interesting shrubs, perennials and annuals that are utilized to great effect. This is a relatively new garden, just four years old, so creating garden rooms for entertainment and learning what works is an ongoing process.

This two-acre site on Peach’s Point overlooking Doliber Cove has a rich garden history. During the early 1900s it was an Italianate formal garden with pools, formal rose garden, and statuary, part of an enormous estate owned by yachtsman Francis Crowninshield and his heiress, historical preservationist wife, Louise du Pont Crowninshield. The current owners bought the property with its overgrown and neglected gardens in 1996. Three years later, after discovering the property’s rich landscape history, the owners hired Doug Jones from Boston’s Keith LeBlanc Landscape Architecture farm to restore the gardens. Based on period black-and-white photographs from 1937, new replicated iron railings were installed, caved-in concrete pools were rebuilt, and old roses were planted to recreate the garden. The original house no longer exists, thus certain landscape transitions presented challenges that have been handled delicately. The new house sits on the water, and the gardens surrounding it have been done in a more contemporary style. The property has some enormous beeches that date to the original period.

Join us in honoring Madison Cox at San Francisco Fall Show Luncheon on October 17

Be a part of the Garden Conservancy's truly special event at the San Francisco Fall Show on October 17. This year, we're honored to host a benefit luncheon celebrating the renowned garden designer, author, and lecturer Madison Cox.

Enjoy this exquisite afternoon at the Festival Pavilion of the Fort Mason Center for the Arts & Culture in San Francisco, all while supporting a vital cause. Your attendance directly contributes to the Suzanne and Frederic Rheinstein Fund for Documentary Films, which broadens our understanding of gardens as crucial cultural legacies. This fund has already produced five impactful documentaries, including a recent one celebrating the garden of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer, which premiered at the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Raised in California, Cox moved to Paris at 20-years-old to study his craft, eventually becoming the first American to design a garden at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in 1997. His passion extends to lecturing globally and authoring numerous influential books on garden design, including Private Gardens of Paris and Majorelle: A Moroccan Oasis. Today, Cox presides over the internationally renowned Foundation Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, cementing his legacy in the world of horticulture.

The Garden Conservancy is delighted to continue its cultural partnership with the San Francisco Fall Show, the leading international art, antiques, and design fair on the West Coast. Don't miss this unique opportunity to connect with fellow garden enthusiasts and honor a legend in landscape design.

For advance tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and benefits, please contact Susan Kenny at skenny@gardenconservancy.org or 845.424.6500.

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Join us in honoring Madison Cox at San Francisco Fall Show Luncheon on October 17

Discover New Haven County's Secret Oases on August 2!

Documentary Illuminates Legacy of Poet Anne Spencer and Her Garden

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