A Visit to the Gardens at Pretty Penny, Which Are Open This Weekend Everything About Gardening

May 12

A Visit to the Gardens at Pretty Penny, Which Are Open This Weekend

Posted by: Andrew Brunelle in Gardening Online Add comments

I stopped by Pretty Penny, actress Helen Hayes former home in Nyack, this morning to meet Mark Bloom and his wife, Val, and have a look around before its Open Days this weekend. Mark has spent years working with the owner, Graham Arader III, to rehab the gardens and add hundreds of new plants.

What a treat to finally come through the open front gate, after all these years staring at the 8-foot front wall. Its a great spot, and I highly recommend a visit on Saturday or Sunday.

The Garden Conservancys Open Days Program lets you see some of the best gardens in the country for $5 per garden.

A row of Metasequoia trees along a side wall.

Heres a description of Pretty Penny from the Open Days Directory and website:

A new side yard garden near North Broadway.

Those plants at the right are some of the 1,000 or so that the Blooms trucked in from Oregon. Here are more of the plants that will be available for sale to the public, as part of the Open Days this weekend:

Heres the truck they spent the last four days in, traveling some 3,100 miles from Oregon. With a laugh, Mark says he agreed to make the drive long before gas prices shot up.

Great river views here.

If you like conifers, especially unusual ones you wont see in other gardens, this garden is a must visit.

And whats so cool is that theyre all labeled!

Admire the plant

and then check below to learn its botanical name.

Very attractive custom-made labels by the Blooms, I might add.

Youll also see more conventional spring stuff, too. Like azaleas.

and lilacs.

This is a serious piece of real estate .

Helen Hayes old rose gardentoo bad they wont be in bloom in time for the tour.

Mark is pretty sure the brick walls and terracing are from her era.

Mark and Val:

This narrow strip of grass between the beds is my idea of a lawn.

Side view of the rose garden.

The new spring growth on the conifers is gorgeous.

Nepeta growing right out of a brick wall.

A tucked-in hosta bed.

What a funny-looking, really skinny and leggy conifer.

Its called Cryptomeria japonica Araucarioides.

Lots of beautifully sculpted Japanese maples.

What a great garden. Congrats to Mark Bloom and Graham Arader.

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