Connecticut’s Historic Gardens

My Lists Keep Growing
Connecticut Historic Gardens

I like the idea behind this initiative. I like gardens and I like history so I must really like historical gardens. 13 of the current 15 gardens are at museums, so I’ll get to them by default. Although, I’ve run into an issue with this… I’ve been to two in the winter (empty gardens – like the Bellamy-Ferriday House garden below – since revisited in June though) and one at night (couldn’t see anything.) I did, however, happen to get married right in the middle of one, so that’s cool. (And I’ll be revisiting the winter/night ones as well. I just have to.)

One of the non-museum garden is only open to the public a couple times a year. That’s sort of exciting for me.

History

Connecticut’s Historic Gardens was started in 2002 by a small group of historic sites with gardens that pooled resources to participate in the annual Connecticut Flower and Garden Show held in Hartford, Connecticut in February. Out of this collaboration came the development of a comprehensive brochure, funded by a grant from the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, that is now distributed in CT, MA and NY. The group now also participates in the New England Flower Show in Boston.

CT Historic Gardens:

If linked, I’ve visited

Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, Wethersfield, May 2003
Thankful Arnold House Garden, Haddam, June 2008
Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford, September 2010
Bellamy-Ferriday Garden, Bethlehem, June 2011
Glebe House Museum, Woodbury, June 2011

Butler-McCook House & Garden, Hartford
Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford
Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington
New London County Historical Society, New London
Osborne Homestead Museum, Derby
Promisek at Three Rivers Farm, Bridgewater
Roseland Cottage, Woodstock
Stanley-Whitman House, Farmington
Weir Farm, Wilton