Long Hill was such a great find...and I should have found it years ago...it is a gift of flowers, gardens, trails, beauty and birds...all within "my neighborhood"...Who knew, obviously not me.
Oh I have heard of it. Even read about the gardens many times...but for some strange reason I thought it was further away than it was. One of those things that we say, someday. Not anymore. I can see myself spending lots of time here through the summer and the changing seasons..
A little bit of history...It is a property of The Trustees of the Reservations, of which I have been a member for many years...it is 100,000 people from every corner of Massachusetts who love the outdoors and the distinctive charms of New England. We believe in celebrating and protecting them, for ourselves, for our children, and for generations to come.
In 1916 Bostonians Ellery and Mabel Cabot Sedgwick purchased Long Hill for their summer home. It is 114 acres of open pasture surrounded by forest and wetlands. Ellery Sedgwick was an author as well as editor and publisher of "Atlantic Monthly Magazine. Mabel Sedgwick was the gardener and a horticulturist..and so began Long Hill. After they both died the children donated the property to The Trustees of the Reservation..Today it is run by a group of volunteers and the grounds and hiking trails are absolutely breathtaking...I'm kicking myself in the butt for not getting here sooner. It is a photographers paradise. Not only that, they have programs here that I could be going to...one in particular that I like the sounds of is Back Porch Appetizers...just maybe I'll sign up.
For now though I will just give you a peek at what I found...I only made it as far as the house and the gardens surrounding it. Everything was in bloom so my feet were firmly planted in the beauty of this one garden...Next time I'll move on...Just a note...The house was built in the Federal style of Charleston, South Carolina's ante-bellum homes. The main house includes magnificent woodwork salvaged from an actual Charleston mansion. The bricks used to build the Main House were also salvaged from an abandoned mill in Ipswich..and bring me a mint julep as I sit on the porch and listen to the birds sing their Sunday morning songs...more holy than a church choir...now for some flowers.
The Alum balls are just starting to bloom...I love this flower and it comes in all sizes...Happy Bokeh Baby.
The lovely and delicate Forget -Me- Nots..I had never seen these before and now I'm in love with them..Got myself 4 pots at the annual sale that was going on this day. A once a year event.
Just a beautiful little garden of Forget- Me- Nots and greens but the contrast was outstanding..love the tree in the middle of all this color..
A beautiful display of blues and greens...my favorite combination...the forget-me-knots were abundant here and the display took my breath away...the tree was a nice focusing point.
My most favorite of all was the Bleeding Heart. We had these growing wild when we were kids growing up. All the unattended fields were full of them but only the pink. Just this year I saw a white one on flickr and imagine my surprise when I came across a white one here. I tried to buy one but they were sold out. I did get the pink one though and I'm so happy to have it. It was my best find of the day because I know have a little piece of my childhood, a part that I love, in my own backyard now. When those hearts bloom next year I'll be able to tell my "boys" all about how I loved them as a little girl and how there little pink heart s still remains in my heart till this day...
So this was my find for last Friday...I think I'm really going to like this series...thanks Kim for another gift of inspiration.
"In the possibilities of change lies the imperishable charm of gardens. Forever through the past experience shine the bright alluring pictures of the future." Mable Cabot Sedgwick.