Bartlett Arboretum
& Gardens
151 Brookdale Road
Stamford, CT 06903
203-322-6971
What’s there? Quietly spectacular arboretum featuring jewel-like
formal gardens, lawns and sculptures, enchanting forest trails, a babbling
brook and plant species from around the world, as well as an
education/visitor center, seasonal plant clinic, greenhouse, herbarium and
research library.
Who is it for? Nature lovers and gardeners of all ages. Leashed dogs are welcome on the forest
trails. The trails and paths are easy to walk but generally not paved, so
unfortunately much of the grounds is not handicapped accessible.
Where is it? 1½ miles off of Merritt Parkway exit 35, just outside the
city of Stamford,
CT. Okay, so technically this is not the
Hudson Valley.
But it is within striking distance for many of its inhabitants, and is well
worth the visit. It took me only 40
minutes to get there from Rockland
County.
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| Inside the Greenhouse |
When is it open? The grounds and gardens are open every day of
the year, from 9 am to 5 pm in the winter and to dusk in the summer. The hours vary for the Silver Educational
Center, which also serves
as the visitor reception area.
When I last inquired the Center was open M-F from 10 am to 4 pm, except
on national holidays. Weekend hours may
follow; call ahead to be sure.
How much will it cost
you? The usual fee is $6.00 per
non-member over the age of 12, but the Arboretum is open to the public FOR FREE
every Wednesday of the year. There is no
additional parking charge. Classes, programs and events additional charge. There are free guided tours, but not on Wednesdays.
While you are there…The Stamford Museum and Nature Center
(www.stamfordmuseum.org) is
literally a mile down Route 137 from the Arboretum. There is a fee for this destination, but you
get incredible value for your $10 (discounts for kids, students and seniors)—an
art museum, a nature center, a working farm museum, a planetarium and an
observatory. The Stamford Historical Society, with historical and artistic
exhibits, is also right there. A short drive north on the Merritt you can find
the town of New Canaan,
which offers great shopping and dining.
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Why go?
Not long ago, my 15 year old son asked me the definition of
“arboretum.” Providing the answer opened the door for a visit to the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, a charming, low-key but richly
appointed collection of formal gardens, fields, meadows, natural
woodlands and wetlands.
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| Original house/Admin building, view from the herb garden |
This arboretum was developed upon the former homestead of
Francis A. Bartlett, a horticulturist who collected and cultivated plant specimens from
around the world and founded his own tree expert company
(still in existence). A public arboretum
since 1965, it now covers 91 acres of natural and cultivated landscape.
The visit starts as soon as you turn into the driveway.
Large stands of bamboo greet arboretum guests; soon you are passing a pond,
gardens, the landscaped back of the education center and natural forests until
you reach the parking lot. From this
point you can check out the information gazebo, which posts a large map of the
grounds, including all the hiking trails.
Usually there are smaller maps available here as well, although on both
days I went the bins were empty (maps are also available at the Silver Educational Center).
Here the visitor must decide: forest first, or formal gardens? We opted for the gardens. At that point in time, the massive
rhododendrons of the Mehlquist
Garden were in full
bloom. Candy colored whorls of red,
pink, orange and violet blooms rioted over terrain traversed by winding
footpaths. Other species, interspersed with the rhoddies, peeked out as well—an umbrella magnolia, a columnar maple.
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| Untitled (Horse), Marsha Spivak |
Once through this section, we arrived at a well-manicured
lawn ringed by plantings of peonies, forget-me-nots and other piquant flowers. The lawn also boasts
a perfectly placed whimsical wooden horse sculpture and, on the far side, a
fully operational beehive. In fact, the arboretum has six hives in all, a
natural method of encouraging pollination and healthy plants. Don’t worry about stings—use common sense,
but the bees are all too busy with the work of pollination to really bother
with the humans.
The second time I visited, this area was covered with
squealing joyful schoolchildren. It is a perfect place for kids to run around
and let off steam. One of the great
things about the arboretum is that every lawn and field is equally accessible;
very little is off-limits, which induces maximum participation. Visitors are
even welcome to enter and explore the greenhouse, filled with numerous tropical
plants in various states of cultivation.
In addition to the plantings, benches appear in picturesque
nooks and offer lovely places to sit and simply enjoy the stillness. Outdoor
sculptures accent the landscape. It is
the mark of a well-designed garden that it looks and feels so natural. On my second visit several artists had come
to the gardens to take advantage of its beauty and serenity.
I crossed a second sun-drenched lawn and,
surrounded by dozens of dancing dragonflies, headed towards a small formal garden. The combination of sun, cut grass, iridescent wings and children's laughter was intoxicating, a direct link to innocent, lazy summers that exist now only in memory.
As it turned out, the formal planting on the far side of this enchanted lawn was another favorite, the herb garden, divided by quaint red brick walks into its four
sections: economic, medicinal, culinary
and aromatic. A small semi-circular terrace just beyond the garden displayed a
bronze Henry Moore sculpture.
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| South American Monkey Puzzle Tree |
The arboretum collection also includes other wonderful
specimens: Japanese umbrella pines, for
instance, and a whole section apparently dedicated to the American
southwest—paw paws, willow oaks, corkwoods.
There is a small orchard of gnarled “Bartlett” Chestnuts. But for those who delight in trees in their
native habitat, there are acres and acres of woodland trails to choose from,
accessible from the parking lot.
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| Poorhouse Brook from Red Oak Trail |
The Red Oak trail, for one, winds through stands of red
oak, maple, and pine, through wetlands thick with ferns and skunk cabbage, and
onto a footbridge which crosses the Poorhouse Brook. Although everything here is left to grow
naturally, I have never seen a forest so perfectly arranged. No matter the angle of observation, leaves,
rocks, trees and water combine to provide flawless tableaux. There is quiet,
too, and a sense of timelessness as the sun flickers in through the leaves or
dances on the water.
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| Silver Education Center |
In addition to all the natural wonders, the arboretum also
provides many educational opportunities. At the Silver Education Center there are classes both for adults and children. The Center also houses a plant clinic and research library, staffed by UConn
Master Gardener Program volunteers, available to the public at no additional
charge.The arboretum also offers tours, lectures, special events and volunteer opportunities.
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