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Take the Garden Bus on a Litchfield Lark

by DIG-IT

The Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum and DIG IT! bring you a very special garden experience this June on a Litchfield Lark! Leave the driving to us on an overnight garden-intensive adventure to Litchfield County, Connecticut. Hotel and most meals are included.

Enjoy guided tours at four celebrated private estates with stellar gardens; stay at a fun, historic hotel; have a guided tour at an iconic flower farm and do some passion quenching shopping! Bus seats are limited!

Day One
Maywood Gardens is a hilltop estate with 40 acres of eco-sensitive formal and naturalized gardens including a loggia and sunken terraced garden with stone pergola, parterre, mixed borders, herb, vegetable and cutting gardens, French-style rose garden, vineyard, greenhouse and conservatory. Ride a hay wagon (with seats!) uphill to tour the gardens, then walk back down to the conservatory gardens to savor a catered lunch on us.

Hollister House Garden is a classic garden in the English manner. Within its formal structure, exuberant plantings create surprise, drama and all that satisfies a garden lover’s soul. It is a garden of surprises and views.

Highmeadows is the hilltop home of Linda Allard, retired fashion designer/director for Ellen Tracy. The formal Italianate gardens, including an impressive potager, and villa frame nature’s grand views of the Litchfield Hills and orchard beyond the Ha-ha.

At the historical Yankee Pedlar Inn in Torrington, enjoy Main Street with its artsy stores and myriad of restaurants for dinner on your own.

Day Two
In the morning, wake up at the Yankee Pedlar to a full breakfast on us.

Then visit the garden of Bunny Williams, interior designer and garden book author. The 15-acre estate has a plenitude of gardens including a sunken garden with fish pond and perennial borders, parterre, potager, conservatory with tropicals, woodland garden, waterfall, orchard and aviary with unusual chickens and fantail doves.

At White Flower Farm take a guided tour of the display gardens then shop until you drop or the bus leaves! Do some virtual shopping ahead. Scrumptious goodies await including a raffle for a $25 gift certificate,

Then on to John’s Café for lunch on us.


This entire trip, including all gardens, is in the Litchfield Hills (actually an extension of the Highlands and Green Mountains). All properties have rolling terrain with varying paths to walk on such as stone steps bordered by plants, loose gravel, mulch, soil, bark chips and lawn. Please wear sturdy, secure shoes. NO SANDALS OR HEELS. Nothing is handi-capped accessible. Prepare to do some walking.

DATE: Tuesday, June 18 & Wednesday, June 19. Bus leaves arboretum Tuesday at 8:45am SHARP and returns approximately 6:00pm on Wednesday.
COST: $375 includes bus, hotel, breakfast, 2 lunches and garden admissions.

Bus seats are limited!
To register: www.arboretumfriends.org/Events

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