We visited the Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, where our Tyler Arboretum membership provided free admission. Sonnenberg (German for Sunny Hill) was the summer home of Frederick Ferris and Mary Clark Thompson. Frederick was founder and director of the First National Bank of the City of New York (precursor of Citibank) and Mary was the daughter of the governor of New York. The gardens were redesigned in 1903 by Ernest Bowditch, and continued after 1907 by the assistant to Bowditch, John Handrahan. At this time there was a transition from classic Victorian landscapes to eclectic styles characteristic of "country place" estates in the era of 1890-1940.
 |
| The Gardener's Cottage (1905) (KSS) |
 |
| The Conservatory and Greenhouse Complex (1903, by Lord and Burnham) (KSS) |
 |
| There were several of these 4- to 5-foot tall Crassula ovata/ Jade Plants in one of the display greenhouses |
 |
| Orchid House: Epidendrum |
 |
| Cactus House (KSS) |
 |
| Euphorbia milii/Crown of Thorns |
 |
| Conservatory Wall Rock Garden |
 |
| Conservatory Palm House |
 |
| Grapery |
 |
| One of many specimen trees along Deer Park |
 |
| The Deer Barn housed the European Fallow Deer that grazed in Deer Park |
 |
| Japanese Garden (1906) ws the first privately owned Japanese Garden in North America (KSS) |
 |
| Torii at the north entrance of the Japanese Garden (KSS) |
 |
| Sonnenberg Mansion seen across the Italian Garden (KSS) |
 |
| Part of the Belvedere (1905-1906) |
 |
| Ruins of the Temple of Diana (1905) |
 |
| Sub-Rosa Garden (1907) was the "secret garden" |
 |
| I thought this was the Belvedere because it gave you a good view of the Rose Garden! |
 |
| Rose Garden (1905-1906) and Belvedere |
 |
| Old Fashioned Garden (1905) pergola (KSS) |
 |
| Old Fashioned Garden (1905) (KSS) |
 |
| Old Fashioned Garden selfie (KSS) |
 |
| Peacock House (c 1902) was one of five aviary buildings |
 |
| Sonnenberg fire-fighting apparatus |
 |
| Carriage House (c 1887) |
 |
| Moonlight Garden with white sweet pea flowers; the flowers in this garden were all white to reflect at night in moonlight |
 |
| Pansy Garden was to showcase Mary Thompson's favorite flower, now just seedlings |
 |
| Marble summer house of the Blue & White Garden (1911) |
 |
| Blue & White Garden oval pool with statues of water sprites (KSS) |
 |
| The boy riding a dolphin is a genuine antique (c 1600) |
 |
| Rock Garden (1910-1920) steps |
 |
| Rock Garden Lily Pond (another area awaiting restoration) |
 |
| Heading into the limestone "canyon" (KSS) |
 |
| Moss (KSS) |
 |
| Stone arch in the limestone canyon |
 |
| Rustic summerhouse with people on the roof |
 |
| East Grove with more specimen trees such as this Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula'/ Weeping Beech (KSS) |
 |
| Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii'/Camperdown Elm |
 |
| North Pond |
 |
| North Pond Reflections (KSS) |
 |
| A view of the mansion across the South Lawn |
 |
| Bridge constructed of boulders |
No comments:
Post a Comment