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Bridgewater,
NJ – May 2019 / Newsmaker Alert / The horticulture destinations in
Somerset County, New Jersey are far beyond anything “garden variety.” The
county enjoys a healthy agri-tourism trade thanks to the many opportunities
for garden enthusiasts to see spectacular seasonal color, rare floral varieties,
and natural and cultivated displays on both public and private lands.
“Somerset
County’s gardens are among our most diverse and popular attractions,” said
Jacqueline Morales, Somerset
County Tourism director. “Some offer public education and all offer
visitors the chance to experience unmatched flora and unique botanical
landscapes.” Morales noted that many visitors come from Philadelphia, New
York City and those cities’ surrounding areas because of the county’s accessibility
via interstates and major highways.
Among
the public gardens is Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills, the premier
rock garden in the eastern United States. Situated in a woodland ravine
that was carved out 11,000 years ago after the retreat of the Wisconsin
glacier sheet, the 33-acre property comprises approximately 12 carefully
cultivated and maintained acres with plantings around 12 rock outcroppings
that were discovered by the estate’s owner, the eponymous Leonard Buck,
in the 1940s. It is both ecologically and geologically important, with
each outcropping having been painstakingly excavated, cleaned and cleared
over 30 years. The garden is owned and managed by the Somerset County Park
Commission and is a popular tour site for master gardeners and garden clubs.
Visitors may stroll along the paths to explore the outcroppings and plants.
“Leonard
J. Buck Garden is a wonderful example of a naturalistic garden and is quite
unique in a few ways,” said Patricia Scibilia, an interpretive gardener
there. “Unlike other rock gardens, Buck is not man-made; and each outcropping
is slightly different, which creates varying exposures and microclimates
in which different plant species will thrive. Therefore, each rock has
its own varieties of plantings that will grow in that spot.”
The
garden and wooded trails are filled with hundreds of varieties of native
and exotic plants, some quite rare. The peak bloom is in May and early
June but the variety of flora offers different blooms nearly every week
of the year. Scibilia posts a weekly bloom list on the website (www.SomersetCountyParks.org/parksfacilities/buck/LJBuck.html)
and in the visitor center. Leonard J. Buck Garden hosts special events
every season, including photography workshops and woodland walks, The Magical
Mysterious Monarch program in the summer and the Floating Luminaries event
in November.
The
Rudolf
W. van der Goot Rose Garden, located in Colonial Park in Franklin Township,
is also under the care of the Somerset County Parks Commission. Established
in 1968 by Rudolf W. van der Goot—the first horticulturist hired by the
park commission to take care of county grounds—the one-acre garden comprises
3300 roses representing about 300 varieties. Plantings include antique
varieties of historic significance, which offer peak bloom in late May-early
June, and modern varieties that bloom throughout the summer until late
October. In 2015, Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden won the Garden of
Excellence Award from the World Federation of Rose Societies.
“It’s
a very special place; we are so proud of our heirlooms and beautiful award-winning
collection,” said Shauna Moore, horticulture supervisor. “We’re looking
forward to our annual Rose Day Festival on June 8, when we invite the public
to celebrate the garden in full bloom.” The family-friendly event includes
music, a food truck, and artisan vendors.
The
garden has evolved over the years. In 2011 it was expanded to increase
ADA accessibility, increase the square footage, and update the grounds
with hardscaping. Van der Goot Rose Garden is open from sunrise to sunset
daily except Wednesdays. Guided tours for the public will be held on Thursday,
May 30 at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m. Wedding and special
event photography are available with permits. No dogs are allowed. More
information is at www.SomersetCountyParks.org/parksFacilities/colonial/RoseGarden.html.
The
Cross Estate Gardens (www.CrossEstateGardens.org)
in Bernardsville sit on property owned by the National Park Service, on
the site of the New Jersey Brigade Unit of Morristown National Historical
Park. A project of the non-profit New Jersey Historical Garden Foundation,
Cross Estate features formal and natural gardens, a wisteria-covered pergola
and mountain laurel allée planted for the wedding of the estate’s
former owner 80 years ago. Of the original estate structures, the historic
five-story water tower still stands.
The
gardens were conceived by Mrs. Cross, a past president of the Garden Club
of Somerset Hills, who worked with her head gardener to design and build
the stone walls, paths, and different garden areas visitors enjoy today.
They are maintained by a corps of about 35 dedicated volunteers who began
their work in the mid-1970s after the Park Service acquired the land following
Cross’ death.
“The
gardens had fallen into such disrepair but they are gorgeous now, thanks
to the foundation volunteers,” said Joan Ryder, president of NJ Historical
Garden Foundation. “The walled garden is planted with colorful perennials
that offer different blooms every week during the season, and the natural
garden has many winding paths that were installed by one of our early supporters.”
She added that many bridal parties do photo shoots under the pergola and
the garden is available for small weddings.
The
Cross Estate is open year-round from dawn to dusk (closed only on Christmas)
and garden tours are available every Wednesday morning from mid-April through
October.
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The
Orchid Range at Duke Farms (www.DukeFarms.org)
is where 1400 varieties and 4500 distinct orchids are cultivated and bloom
all year.
“People
love coming during the winter and seeing those pops of color,” said Nora
DiChiara, Director, Strategic Planning & Programs. “In fact, our bloom
season peaks in the wintertime.”
Other
garden features at Duke Farms—a leader in environmental stewardship and
conservation—are the arboretum where the former main residence stood, an
Asian-inspired meditation garden, sunken garden with water feature and
the Great Meadow.
“The
sunken garden area is a great place to take pictures or enjoy a picnic
on the lawn,” said DiChiara. There are four paths leading down to the bowl-shaped
garden, which has a fountain that runs all day, pollinator plants, native
grasses, and 100-year-old lampposts. The arboretum currently has around
40 species of trees and shrubs, and the state’s third largest gingko tree,
which dates back to industrialist J.B. Duke’s time. DiChiara said the organization’s
goal is to have 100 woody and tree species planted in the arboretum and
become nationally recognized.
Additional
arboreal features are the two new allées—one to repopulate the oaks
and one with black gum trees—which were planted with an eye towards future
generations of visitors to take in their full canopies as the trees mature.
“We are always installing different plantings to create diversity and provide
new natural areas that change over time,” noted DiChiara.
This
summer, Duke Farms will launch a pollinator garden to attract butterflies
and bees to native plants; it also hosts a Monarch & Meadow month in
August; this year’s program will focus on the Great Meadow and Orchid Range.
Duke Farms participates in the Monarch Watch project, which educates the
public on the importance of the monarch butterfly, and it raises, tags
and releases them as part of that initiative.
Duke
Farms is open daily except Wednesdays, Christmas and Thanksgiving.
The
private gardens at Peony’s Envy in Bernardsville, at the home of
owner Kathleen Gagan, are open each spring to the public, who come from
far and wide to see one of the most extensive collections of herbaceous
and tree peonies in the Northeast. Now in its 13th year, Peony’s Envy is
a thriving mail order business that farms 17 acres across two locations,
planted with 170,000 peonies representing 300 distinct cultivars. Gagan
opened up her private garden to the public in 2007 to showcase and share
the beauty of the flowers in bloom. She also grows other flowers in a variegated
garden. Visitors are welcome for seven to eight weeks every spring and
the gardens are open late every Friday through June 7. “We invite people
to pretend it’s their garden, bring a picnic dinner and blanket, sit on
the lawn and take in the view,” said Gagan.
“We
grow over 300 of the best peony varieties we can find. It’s a living museum
here, a private gallery that ‘m delighted to share with others.”
Mother’s
Day and Memorial Day are popular visiting days, but the major event is
the annual Peak Bloom Party; this year it is June 1 and tickets are selling
fast. The event includes music and food, as visitors walk the paths to
take in the full beauty of peonies in bloom. “People come from across the
country and around the world for this,” said Gagan.
This
year’s U-Pick Peonies, in the farm’s off-site production fields, will run
daily from May 25 to June 9. Details about events, visiting the gardens
and the mail order business, as well as information about peonies, are
at www.PeonysEnvy.com.
Garden
itineraries for visitors to Somerset County are available at www.VisitSomersetNJ.org/garden.
To arrange a custom itinerary, contact Jacqueline Morales at jackie@visitsomersetnj.org
or 908-218-4300.
About
Somerset County Tourism
Somerset
County Tourism, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the official destination
marketing organization (DMO) for Somerset County, N.J. and a Division of
the Somerset County Business Partnership.
Its mission is to advance the local economy by sustainably promoting the
area’s outstanding travel products and experiences, and to offer a variety
of useful services to residents, business travelers and leisure visitors.
Somerset County Tourism is an active member of New Jersey Destination Marketing
Organizations and the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association. For more
information visit www.VisitSomersetNJ.org
or call 908-218-4300, ext. 28.
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Media
Contacts:
Jacqueline
Morales
Somerset
County Tourism Director
908-218-4300
Caryn
Starr-Gates
StarrGates
Business Communications
for
Somerset County Tourism
201-791-4694 |