Long Island's Garden Girl ~: Horticulture Hotspots

There are not many places on Long Island where you can find an entire day’s worth of entertainment for less than the cost of a movie ticket. At one of Long Island’s many public gardens, you can spend a whole day strolling the grounds, taking photographs, having a picnic, or touring one of the historical mansions. Long Island and the surrounding area is a Mecca of botanical gardens and arboreta, thanks at least in part to the Island’s Gold Coast history. We are very fortunate that right in our own backyards there are world-class public gardens where vibrant collections of trees, shrubs, and perennials flourish.

Photo: An allee of European Lindens (Tilia x europaea) and Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) creates a sweeping view of Westbury House, the former mansion of the Phipps estate at Old Westbury Gardens

Botanical gardens serve many different functions. They can be a place where people reconnect with nature, clear their minds, and relax in a safe and beautiful greenspace. They can be a place where people learn about plants and get inspired to try out certain plants and sustainable practices in their own gardens. They can also be a link to our past, reminding us how people used to live and what they valued.

Botanical gardens are also important from a scientific standpoint. They can be a place where different plants are studied and evaluated for their suitability for landscape use. They can be a place where global floral biodiversity is collected and cataloged. They can also be a great repository of genetic information from which future conservation work can be conducted. All of these different functions validate our continued need for public gardens, especially in high urbanized areas like Long Island.

Whatever your reason for wanting to visit a public garden, be sure to check out Planting Fields Arboretum if you live in Nassau or Bayard Cutting Arboretum if you live in Suffolk. Both are state parks and are well worth the minimal entrance fee. Located on the North Shore in Oyster Bay, Planting Fields was the “country home” of Mr. William Robertson Coe who purchased the estate in 1913. The park currently spans 409 acres and is a testament to the opulence of the Gilded Age. Magnificent gardens, created by the most notable landscape designers and architects of the time, including the legendary Olmsted Brothers firm, give rise to a landscape of formal plantings, woodlands, and rolling lawn. As you enter Planting Fields, you will go through a Beech-lined drive that ultimately leads to Coe Hall, the 65 room Tudor-Revival style mansion home of the Coe family. The recently restored Italian Pool Garden, situated behind the house, features a serene reflecting pool surrounded by a vibrant perennial border.

Photo: The Italian Pool Garden at Planting Fields Arboretum with Coe Hall in the distance

Also notable is the rhododendron collection, the rose garden, and the Synoptic Garden where the real plant-enthusiast can find over 500 species of trees and shrubs all arranged in alphabetical order by botanical name. Be sure to not miss the Main Greenhouse and the Camellia Greenhouse which displays the largest collection of camellias in the Northeast.

Bayard Cutting Arboretum, located on the South Shore of Suffolk County in Great River, is a bit older and larger than Planting Fields, as it dates from 1887 and spans 690 acres. Oak trees as old as 200 years, dot the expansive lawn leading up to “Westbrook,” the Tudor style mansion home of Mr. William Bayard Cutting. Look through the ornate Tiffany glass windows and you will see tranquil views of the Connetquot River. Like at Planting Fields, the Olmstead family of landscape architects also had a hand in designing the landscape. Very old, specimen trees are featured in the extensive conifer collection, trees as unique as Turkish (Abies x bornmuelleriana) and Greek Fir (A. cephalonica). Much of the property is still wooded, and a short trail will guide you through a natural wetland area.

Photo: This Weeping European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) at Bayard Cutting Arboretum is one of the many magnificent trees there

Whatever botanical garden or arboretum you choose to visit on Long Island or in the surrounding area, you’ll be sure to have an enjoyable experience. Additional gardens you may want to check out are listed below:

Bailey Arboretum

Bayville Road and Feeks Lane, Lattingtown, Long Island 11560

516-571-8020

www.baileyarboretum.org

Bayard Cutting Arboretum

440 Montauk Highway, Great River, Long Island 11739

631-581-1002

www.bayardcuttingarboretum.com

Bridge Gardens

36 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton, Long Island 11932

631-283-3195

www.peconiclandtrust.org/bridge_gardens.html