Growing up, when my cousins visited Michigan, my mom and aunt would walk around public gardens, with us kids in tow. We would spend forever traipsing down paths, needing to pee, and begging my mom to take photos of us running in slow motion (was this a ’90s kid thing?).
But now that I’m lady of a certain age, all I want to do is visit gardens like this! When Freddie and I went upstate this summer, we walked around Edith Wharton’s gardens in Lenox, Massachusetts. It felt like the deepest breath, and entry was free.
Do you ever visit gardens? Any recommendations? New York City has two major botanic gardens, one in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx. I’ve also read about some in Connecticut that allow visitors, and of course many Cup of Jo readers have gorgeous gardens, as well. (How amazing would it be to organize a CoJ tour of gardens around Brooklyn?! Would you come?! My neighbor has a roof garden that feels like you’re walking to the sea in Maine.)
Here are a few inspiring photos…
Mothecombe House in Devon, England, photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo. The garden is open to the public — with tea and cake! — every Tuesday.
Ian McEwan’s garden in the Cotswolds, England, photo by Ricardo Labougle. I’m a sucker for a hedge.
Jasper Conran’s garden in Dorset, England, photo by Simon Upton. Can you imagine walking here during golden hour?
Le Jardin Plume in Normandy, France, photo by Clare Foster. Those wave-cut hedges are magical.
My friend Abbey’s garden in Connecticut. (Here’s the before-and-after.)
And, of course, nearest and dearest to my heart, my grandmother’s small terrace in Cornwall, England. She is greatly missed but her garden is thriving.
Do you garden at all? Do you visit gardens? I’d love to hear. Here’s Barbara Kingsolver’s Appalachian garden with Icelandic sheep and 40 different tomato plants.
P.S. 14 readers share their gardens, and 10 more readers share their gardens. Plus, John Derian’s gorgeous house and garden in Provincetown.
(Top photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo.)