The following was submitted as a press release.
The Friends of Weir Farm National Historical Park are inviting the public to celebrate Connecticut’s Historic Gardens Day on Sunday, June 26 from noon to 4 p.m. at Weir Farm NHP (735 Nod Hill Rd.), where both gardens and art will be in focus!
Several of the park’s dedicated Garden Crew volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the history, flowers, restoration, and ongoing preservation of Weir Farm’s four historic gardens. The iconic Sunken Garden, commissioned by Cora Weir Burlingham, is an intimate space defined by stone retaining walls and curving flowerbeds edged with dwarf boxwood. The Secret Garden features quaint wood fencing, a bubbling fountain, a historic sundial and a variety of blooming flowers, all “hid” behind a hedgerow of flowering Deutzia. The Terraced Gardens were built to replace the original Victory Garden, which was north of the Weir House during the war years, and hosted a wide variety of produce, along with cold frames and fruit trees. Now mostly flowers grow in the Terraced Garden, and the Vegetable Garden in front of the Young Studio features the same heirloom plants and vegetables that once were grown here.
All of these gardens are great places to enjoy the flora, and paint or draw. Visitors can spend an afternoon painting en plein air (using the Park’s free-to-use watercolor supplies) in a landscape that has inspired artists for over 140 years. The Friends of Weir Farm tent will have free activities for all ages, including the opportunity to plant some hollyhock and bean seeds to take home, learn about poison ivy, color a water cycle sheet, take home a lovely coloring sheet inspired by a landscape painting by local artist Bobbi Eike Mullen, and enjoy some refreshing lemonade.
There is no registration for this event — visitors can just stop by and smell the flowers! And anyone who can’t make it on June 26 can stop by any day from dawn to dusk to enjoy the beautiful gardens at Weir Farm.
Weir Farm NHP is a proud member of Connecticut’s Historic Gardens, which is committed to preserving and promoting historic gardens throughout Connecticut. Fifteen distinctive historic sites and their gardens throughout the state offer a variety of garden styles set in different time periods.
“We hope the public will celebrate Connecticut’s Historic Gardens Day with us at Weir Farm to experience the serenity and beauty of the park’s beautiful gardens and grounds.” Barbara Kaplan, Member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Weir Farm, and the park’s representative to Connecticut’s Historic Gardens, said. “We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers and park staff who have restored and maintain these lovely gardens for the public to enjoy.”
“The Friends of Weir Farm are excited to host Connecticut’s Historic Gardens Day this year to showcase the unique gardens at the park,” Friends of Weir Farm President Judy Wander, added.