Garden and House Tour09:12AM / Friday, June 26, 2009
Classic Adirondack chairs in a garden with thriving native plants, lush tropicals, a "yurt" for outdoor sleeping and a woodburning pizza oven, designed by a transplanted Southern Californian
SHEFFIELD, Mass. - The Lenox Garden Club’s 19th annual tour of gardens and houses will take place on Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 10am to 4pm. The seven properties on the self-guided tour are in the historic Southern Berkshire towns of Sheffield and Ashley Falls, MA.
In addition to the pleasure of spending a day in the beautiful Berkshire countryside, visiting the properties will give both neophyte and experienced gardeners the opportunity to learn from the experience of others about seeing possibilities, thinking big, looking ahead to the next great idea, and learning that gardens are never finished, all without lifting a trowel!
 Shade-loving plants in a grove of mature trees at the home of two architects in Sheffield, MA. where "Hidden Treasures of the Berkshires", a tour of gardens and houses will take place on July 11,2009
Guests will visit a sculptor’s studio set in the pastures of an old dairy farm; a former marble quarry where a pine-lined approach, populated by stone deer, leads to a lake; a site where romance reigns over logic for a transplanted Californian who has created lush, foliage-rich gardens where she spends every waking (and sleeping!) hour of the Berkshire summer; and a property edged by a long, sophisticated border, where the brick Federal house is sheltered by significant old trees. At the end of a quiet country road, borders of unusual plant material line tranquil pathways leading to a dramatic waterfall and fish pond. At their secluded property, two architects have used natural changes in elevation to create gardens that echo the architecture of their house, while another owner has created a fantasy property from the remains of a 1737 grist mill.
A horticultural expert (identified by a yellow and green “Ask Me” sign) will be stationed in each garden during the tour to answer questions about the plantings at that site or to offer tips about gardening in general.
Tickets may be purchased in advance for $30 each by mail addressed to The Lenox Garden Club, PO Box 552, Lenox, MA 01240. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped, business-sized envelope, and make checks payable to The Lenox Garden Club. Gourmet box lunches are also available for $20 each, and must be reserved by June 30.
Until July 10, tickets may be purchased at Real Gustavian, 389 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA; Mary Stuart Collections, 69 Church Street, Lenox, MA, or Campo De’Fiori, 1815 N. Main Street, Sheffield, MA. Tickets are limited, but if any remain on the day of the tour, they will be sold from 10 AM to 2 PM for $35 each at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1156 Ashley Falls Road, Ashley Falls, MA. For more information, visit www.lenoxgardenclub.net.
Proceeds from the tour (more than $300,000 so far) have been distributed,  through The Lenox Garden Club’s grant program, to support horticultural, environmental and conservation projects in Berkshire county. Projects have included the restoration of Lilac Park in Lenox, MA; the Chinese Garden at Naumkeag in Stockbridge, MA; RiverWalk in Great Barrington, MA; several projects at the Berkshire Botanical Garden including support for summer interns and the Winter Lecture; and landscaping at houses built by Habitat for Humanity.
A moss garden watched over by a stone sculpture at the sight of a former quarry turned into a tranquil retreat, in Sheffield, MA.
Classic Adirondack chairs in a garden with thriving native plants, lush tropicals, a "yurt" for outdoor sleeping and a woodburning pizza oven, designed by a transplanted Southern Californian/ A moss garden watched over by a stone sculpture at the sight of a former quarry turned into a tranquil retreat, in Sheffield, MA. Shade-loving plants in a grove of mature trees at the home of two architects in Sheffield, MA. where "Hidden Treasures of the Berkshires", a tour of gardens and houses will take place on July 11,2009. |
