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October 2016

Bus Trip! Fall Fun along the Hudson

Sit back. Relax. Leave the driving to us on the Rollin’ Garden Party Bus as we head to the Hudson for some Fall Fun. Join DIG IT! Magazine on Tuesday, October 18 as we visit two gorgeous private gardens and a spectacular public, Persian-style garden, once a noteworthy estate – and explore a Hudson River village where we will enjoy lunch and shopping on our own.

STOP 1. Private Garden in Chappaqua, NY. A small, intensely planted town garden with a Belgian espalier of 37 apple and pear trees, brick paths and a brick herb garden with culinary and medicinal herbs, potager with cool weather greens, trough of miniature water lilies, checkerboard garden and, perhaps, the only outdoor, hardy, vertical, hydroponic fern garden inspired by Patrick Blanc. The owner, a scientist, artist, garden designer and writer, was assisted in fern selection by John T. Mickel, Senior Curator Emeritus, Institute of Systematic Botany, New York Botanical Garden.


STOP 2. Private Garden in Tarrytown, NY. On entering this suburban street garden Tarrytown through the forest green gate at street level, the first thing one notices is the view. In the distance below the hill to the river, the Tappan Zee gleams over the Hudson, its western shore rising dramatically above it. Then the eye rolls over the hillside immediately in front of you – down the stone steps, through thick, lush plants racing down the hillside as if they were a green waterfall…. This 1/8-acre hillside garden sports gravel switchbacks, zig-zag paths that make the hill an easy walk and that provide numerous micro-gardens.

STOP 3: Lunch on Main Street, Tarrytown, plus time for a little exploring.


STOP 4: Untermyer Gardens is spectacular in fall!: Classical Persian gardens designed in 1912 by Welles Bosworth (Kykuit) and planned by owner Samuel Untermyer to be “the finest garden in the world.” A three-walled garden symbolizes Paradise with views of the Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades as the fourth wall. Architectural elements include a circular temple, Greek columns, sphinxes, amphitheatre, mosaics and color gardens in the ruins with two 2,000-year-old columns from Italy. Like the Greek ruins, many of the gardens today are undergoing restoration. There are several dramatic views of the Hudson, the most dazzling being The Vista, a view across the Hudson River to the New Jersey Palisades surrounded by terraced and rock gardens, outcroppings, streams, waterfalls and crumbling walls.

DATE: Tuesday, October 18. Bus leaves Rockaway Townsquare Mall, Rt. 80 and Mount Hope Ave., Rockaway Township at 8:30am SHARP and returns 7:00-ishPM
COST: $85 includes bus, garden admissions, guided tours, light refreshments
INFO & REGISTER: Mary at 973-570-0759 or mary@dig-itmag.com
Click here for the Registration Form

TESTIMONIALS

“Mary's well planned trips have provided many wonderful memories for our garden visiting members and are great fund raisers as well.”
– Lesley Parness, for The Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum

“The Virginia Voyage was a great weekend getaway! Any avid gardener, ‘a.k.a. Plant Geek’ would have had a fantastic time. Thank you again for another wonderful trip. We are looking forward to the next DIG IT! Rolling Garden Party!”
– Dawn & David

“Good morning, Had an enjoyable time in VA. Thanks.”
– Peg Ross

“Loved the trip to Ladew, Monticello and Mt Vernon. The conversations were fun and the subject matter very interesting and informative. Will certainly consider future trips with DIG IT!”
– Cindy

“Mary, Enjoy every trip you give because you take me to places I've never been. Flowers make me smile. I appreciate the love and work that goes into each garden I see. Their diversity and their choices of plantings are always unique. I thought it was so nice that the homeowners greeted you and gave you some history of their property. Paxton Hill Farm was a special treat because it was filled with hidden surprises. I like that we could roam freely and take in its ambience.

“What really makes the trip is people like "you" that run it. Your pleasantness and Ursula's energy always make for a happy heart. “
– Cheryl Uhlig.
PS: “ Your cookies are the best!!!!”


"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein

“Thank you for a wonderful day yesterday. When I get home from your trips I always feel that I was on a mini vacation. Thanks again.”
– Alice Corcoran

“Thanks for all your good work!”
– Janet Allocca

“This particular trip was unique I felt because you got to see 3 individual gardens in homes very near to one another and the way each person or persons made use of the space they had. Some had more area or acreage to work with but in each case I felt their choices were wise and commendable. I liked the greenery in house #1 the most and since this was the smaller of the 3 properties (I don't recall the front of the house being part of the garden) it still had a lot to admire. This was the house with the kidney-shaped pool, was it not? I liked the choice of flowers in house #2----especially the beautiful poppies (including some that were hybrids) that were quite spectacular. The yard had a lot of greenery as well that was very
eye-catching as was the flowers in her front yard garden which was quite extensive and lovely.” – Wayne L.

“The man's garden in house #3 was amazing. He said he and his wife took 10 years to achieve what the end result looks like now and I particularly was fascinated by what the themes and objectives were for each section (be it the front of the house, on the busy side street, the back yard, the area around their patio and then the area nearest the running track of the school. MAJOR, major work went into all of this and must have cost a small fortune. But you could tell THIS was his passion and when you are passionate about something----sometimes the work involved becomes more of a pleasure, doesn't it? And then the nursery at the end was a major surprise. Wasn't expecting to find a whole landscaped part of the property on the other side of the nursery that was very detailed and peaceful to walk around. Great sculptures as well displayed everywhere as well as live birds and animals walking around the grounds. I will definitely go back to this place on my own. That's all for now Mary. Another enjoyable day.”
– Wayne Lambert

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