The Landcraft Garden Foundation
Mattituck, NY
Dry/xeriscape, Organic/toxin-free, Meadow, Water feature, Alpine/rock garden, Garden structure/sculpture, Fruit/vegetables, Rare plants/plant collection, Substantial native plants, Woodland/shade garden
The Landcraft Garden Foundation is also hosting a Digging Deeper on this date: Topiary: Art of the Clipped Form
In 2020, garden owners Dennis Schrader and Bill Smith formed the Landcraft Garden Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation. The Landcraft Garden Foundation is dedicated to inspiring, educating, and promoting gardening, horticulture, and the preservation of our natural environment. Our mission is to provide a horticulturally diverse garden that offers knowledge of the plant world and acts as a laboratory for experimenting with horticultural techniques, plant diversity, breeding, and design. Ultimately, our goal is to provide the experience of delight that gardens bring to people throughout the world. Set in the heart of the North Fork's wine region, this 4+ acre public garden surrounds a restored 1840s farmhouse. In 2008, the house went through a major renovation, and the gardens and terraces surrounding it have since been redesigned. The deck, porches, and stone terraces are filled with hundreds of container plantings. There are many perennial and mixed shrub borders throughout the garden that can be accessed by numerous winding paths. Garden rooms, hedged in by hornbeam and boxwood, feature various themed gardens within. Additionally, there is a vegetable/herb garden, a formal knot garden, several bog plantings, meadow gardens, and a woodland shade area. The garden also features rustic arbors, trellises, stone walls, and a tiki hut that contains a collection of exotic plants. The newest meadow garden surrounds the "Ruin"—a subterranean stone grotto partially covered with a sedum green roof. The three roundels located in the eastern part of the garden are made from locust wood harvested from the property. The roundels support climbing roses and seasonal exotic vines and are underplanted with a collection of shade-loving plants. There are many sitting areas to enjoy the views and a natural clay pond with stream and bridge, and other smaller ponds for water lilies and papyrus. Many of the plantings throughout contain tropicals, subtropicals, tender perennials, and annuals. There are a handful of hardy palms and a large grove of Musa basjoo, the hardy banana. The Mediterranean garden, which has collections of subtropical fruits, also contains the bee yard. The house and gardens are encircled by 10 acres of rehabilitated meadows with mowed paths for viewing native plants and wildlife. The meadow contains grasses, perennials, and shrubs that provide a habitat for deer, foxes, groundhogs, rabbits, box turtles, wild turkeys, and many other birds and insects.
This garden's estimated size is 4 acres (+10 acres natural area).
Open Days 2024: Saturday, July 13
Hours: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- This garden allows photography
- Partial wheelchair access
- Nature-friendly
Mattituck, Suffolk County, NY, 11952