Admire Shady Woodlands And Rocky Hillsides In Fairfield County Through Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program returns to Connecticut in this year, featuring 46 private gardens to visit from April to September.

On Sunday, May 21, the first gardens in Fairfield County will be open for public visits. Three private gardens in Stamford and Weston will be open, with varying hours.

At the garden of Alice Ballin, boulders, huge rock outcroppings, and tall oaks, maples and beeches provide a wonderful environment for trillium, bloodroot, orchids, ferns and other woodland plants to flourish. This is the first year Ms Ballin’s garden has been included in the Open Days Program.

Ruth Levitan’s unique one-acre woodland garden is covered dogwoods and azaleas blooming over a carpet of old-fashioned spring perennials and biennials. It was cactus over a 40-year period by the owners, both dedicated amateur gardeners.

These two gardens, both in Stamford, will be open from 10 am to 4 pm. Ms Ballin’s property is handicapped accessible.

At Toscairn, a difficult and rocky hillside is being tamed by the use of stone walls and a collection of antique stone used throughout the gardens. Ferns, specimen trees and shrubs, as well as vegetable, rock and perennial gardens provide flowers and plants of interest year round.

This property, located in Weston, is also handicapped accessible. There will be guided tours beginning at 10 am, noon and 2 pm.

Admission to each private garden is $5. Open Days are rain or shine, and no reservations are required.

Call 888-842-2442 or visit GardenConservancy.org/OpenDays for more information, including the address of and directions to the gardens.

Additional Open Days in Fairfield County take place on the following dates: June 11, with gardens in Greenwich, Westport and Wilton; June 17, Ridgefield and West Redding; July 23, Ridgefield, West Redding, Weston and Westport; and September 17, Greenwich.

These Open Days gardens are featured in the 2006 Open Days Directory, a soft-cover book that includes detailed driving directions and vivid descriptions written by their owners. The National Edition includes garden listings in 16 states and costs $20.45 including shipping. A regional guide, the Northeast Edition, costs $6.95, and features gardens in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

Call the Garden Conservancy to order with a Visa or MasterCard, or send a check or money order to The Garden Conservancy, PO Box 219, Cold Spring NY 10516. Discount admission tickets are available as well through advanced mail order.