Rock and Water Garden


The Rock Garden was one of Bessie McKee’s favorite places on the property. Early pictures indicate a stone-strewn garden in full sun while later pictures show a woodland wildflower garden with rock paths winding around large shrubs, and under shady trees. Because the garden is becoming more and more vulnerable to high storm tides and heavy-rainfall flooding, the plants have had to prove their ability to survive a range of extreme conditions including baking summer sun, salt, and wet feet in winter.
The Water Garden is the lowest point on the property. The pond was dug out of brackish marshland and is rain, rather than spring, fed. The pond provides habitat for thousands of tadpoles and frogs, fish, dragonflies and waterbugs. Whenever the pond dries during a dry summer, frogs wait out the drought tucked in the ground. The garden is planted with trees such as golden willow, cottonwood, and Japanese maples; and shrubs such as button bush, winterberry and blueberry that thrive in moist soil.
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Tuesday, June 04
- Tuesday, September 03
Yoga Days at Blithewold: Tuesday and Thursday -
Thursday, June 06
- Thursday, September 05
Yoga Days at Blithewold: Tuesday and Thursday -
Wednesday, June 26
Music at Sunset- Michelle Cruz
Upcoming events
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Outrageously ornamental onions
(Jun 14, '13)
Even though the foxgloves have been outstanding in the Rose Garden and the roses and delphinium have begun to show off, I am still being distracted by allium. But then class clowns are usually pretty distracting. — In the best way. Last year we ordered more ornamental onions than we ever had before and planted ... -
Costume Conservation Continues
(May 30, '13)
One of the most exciting days in my tenure at Blithewold was the day Bessie Van Wickle McKee’s collection of fine gowns returned permanently to Blithewold from Boston where they had been in safe keeping at the headquarters of the … Continue reading
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