Get the Dirt on Great Gardens

I come from a long line of gardeners, people who tended the earth and brought forth beauty. I, on the other hand, just bring forth more dirt . . . and a lot of brown leaves. However, that’s never stopped me from appreciating (and envying!) the handiwork of those who do have a green thumb. Whether carefully manicured or wildly overgrown, gardens can be an outlet for creativity, a spot for relaxation or simply a stunning view that inspires us. As spring gives way to summer, there is no better time to appreciate the natural beauty around us. So go “green” – or in my case, green with envy -- this summer and check out these great Gozaic gardens.

At Filoli in Woodside, California, visitors can glimpse an inspiring vision of a new Eden, with bountiful land, plentiful resources and an emphasis on self-sufficiency. This outstanding showcase of early 20th-century architecture and garden design, just 30 miles south of San Francisco, has been designated a California Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Filoli is a National Trust Historic Site.




This June (June 11-27, 2010) at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut, the spotlight will be on the beautiful gardens. A series of special programs, including tours, demonstrations and family activities, culminates with Connecticut’s Historic Garden Day on June 27.



Originally constructed in 1910, Nemours Mansion in Wilmington, Delaware, is one of the grandest buildings ever constructed in the state and includes the largest formal French gardens in North America. Nemours gardens are closely modeled on the Petit Trianon at Versailles, and the jewel of the gardens is the spectacular statue "Achievement." Designed by French artist Henri Crenier, it looms over the maze garden on an elevated marble pedestal vase. Covered in 23-karat gold leaf, this magnificent sculpture stands as the inspired centerpiece of the Nemours vista.

The United States Botanic Gardens, in Washington, D.C., are an often overlooked national treasure located near the U.S. Capitol. As envisioned by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, this museum houses artifacts that are the living treasures of the world.








Industrialist James Deering employed more than 1,000 laborers to build his dream home, Vizcaya in Miami, Florida. A young painter, named Paul Chalfin, supervised the entire project, in collaboration with Colombian landscape architect Diego Suarez. Suarez and Chalfin worked for seven years, perfecting the design of the gardens as one vast outdoor room, with the elements serving as complementary parts of an integrated area. Key features include the many fountains, a central pool surrounding an elevated island, the elevated Mound with its small house or casino statuary and several themed gardens.


The annual Quilt Gardens Tour showcases 17 gigantic quilt-patterned gardens packed with 90,000 blooms and 17 outdoor artist-painted quilt murals. This colorful patchwork blankets seven communities in Amish Country of Northern Indiana -- all vibrant symbols of the area’s Amish culture and rich rural heritage. Inspired by quilt designs, powered by imagination; there’s nothing else like it, and it’s all viewable free of charge through Oct. 1, 2010!


The hilltop paradise known as Kykuit, in Sleepy Hollow, New York, was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, beginning with the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in America. Now a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this extraordinary landmark includes expansive, terraced gardens containing Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller's exceptional collection of 20th-century sculpture. Artists represented include Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson and David Smith, among many others.

The Middleton Place experience, in Charleston, South Carolina, begins with the overwhelming beauty of the formally landscaped gardens, begun in 1741 by Henry Middleton. From the first glimpse of the open greensward, with its grazing sheep and strutting peacocks, through the numerous garden rooms, to the climactic view over the dramatic Butterfly Lakes to the Ashley River beyond, the vistas are nearly timeless.




From the beginning, Thomas Jefferson envisioned Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, as part of an ornamental landscape. His gardens were laboratories for the cultivation of myriad species of trees, flowers, vegetables and fruit. Jefferson was particularly proud of the Ornamental Grove, which featured his “pet trees.” Today, you can take home a bit of history by purchasing heirloom seeds or plants for your own garden.

Amy Verdin is a Gozaic consultant.

Photos top to bottom:
Filoli courtesy of Carol Highsmith.
Florence Griswold Museum courtesy of Connecticut Historic Gardens & the Florence Griswold Museum. Nemours courtesy of Grace Gary.
Photo courtesy of United States Botanic Gardens.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens courtesy of Bill Sumner.
Center Diamond Garden, Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Middlebury, Indiana, photo courtesy of Elkhart CVB.
Photo courtesy of Kykuit.
Middleton Place.
Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Leonard Phillips.