With sweeping views of the Narragansett Bay, Blithewold was created as a seaside summer retreat in the 1890s and remained in the same family for almost 100 years. Today, this 33-acre estate evokes the romance of the Country Place Era. The landscape itself reflects the Arts and Crafts style with harmony between house and grounds and amongst the various gardens; garden rooms of an intimate scale ranging in character from mysterious to exotic, poetic to practical; carefully designed and locally crafted details including stonework, wellheads, and fountains; and a remarkable collection of more than 500 species of trees and shrubs. On June 18 at 1 pm, explore this landscape and its rich history in a Digging Deeper walking tour with Garden Manager Betsy Ekholm and Gail Read (gardens and greenhouse manager). The program is sponsored by the Garden Conservancy, and is $30 for Blithewold and Garden Conservancy members, $40 for general public. For more information, please contact the Garden Conservancy by telephone 845.424.6500, M-F, 9-5 Eastern, or sign up at www.gardenconservancy.org
