Learn about gardening with hardy and beautiful heather as you join members of the Northeast Heather Society while tending The Fells Heather Bed on Saturday, May 12 at 9:30 am. Bring lightweight hedge trimmers (if you have them), dress in layers and wear gloves. Free to all. Advance registration requested. Meets at the Heather Bed, beyond the Rock Garden. The Fells is located on the eastern shore of Lake Sunapee at 456 Route 103A in Newbury, NH.
US Secretary of State John Milton Hay (pictured below) acquired seven tracts of farmlands to assemble his summer home on Lake Sunapee. Today, several historic cellar holes remain from the 19th century family farms which predated establishment of The Fells. The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens is one of New England’s finest examples of an early 20th-century summer estate. Come and discover 83.5 conserved acres of beauty and tranquility. During this 2.5-mile hike, Forest Society naturalist Dave Anderson shares some of the acquisition history; local family names; and NH agricultural census farm production statistics for the hill farms of Sunset Hill. Includes some off-trail exploring. Members$5, nonmembers $10. Advance registration required. To register, call 603-763-4789 x3. Meet at The Fells Gatehouse. Co-sponsored by the Society for the Protection of NH Forests. (Rain or shine unless you receive an early morning call or email from staff.)
Enjoy a fun filled day for families of all ages in Newbury, New Hampshire on Saturday, August 14, from 10 – 3 at The Fells. Take an historic guided tour of the Main House and gardens, enjoy live animals, children’s games, demonstrations and food concessions. Free with admission. The Fells Main House.For information and directions to this historic garden on Lake Sunapee, log on to www.thefells.org, or call 603-763-4789.
A selection of ten choice private gardens in Warner, NH, are included on the 2010 Fells Garden Tour, to be held Saturday, July 17, from 9 – 3. . The town of Warner, a pleasant and picturesque village with neatness and thrift evident in all the surroundings is situated in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region of New Hampshire, a quick 30 minutes northwest of Concord and 40 minutes southeast of Lebanon. You will be treated to a variety of unique gardens and styles–including an organic vegetable garden, charming historic gardens in the Waterloo District, sweeping views from gardens on prestigious Pumpkin Hill, an artist’s garden and shop, “a garden among the rocks,” and a lovely compact garden and private patio in the town village.
While in Waterloo stroll past beautiful historic homes, cross a covered bridge to the Warner River and railroad station and continue along a picturesque walking trail. Waterloo resident and historian Paul Proulx will speak at 10:30am and at 1:30pm on the history of the people and politics of Waterloo. Refreshments will be served at the tavern at 1:30pm. Tour headquarters is the Telephone Museum located at 22 East Main Street, Warner. Tickets: $25 day of tour; $20 in advance. Purchase tickets on line at www.thefells.org, or call 603-763-4789.
The Fells in Newbury, New Hampshire, is one of New England’s finest examples of an early 20th-century summer estate. Stroll the length of the 100-foot Perennial Border, discover the Old Garden, hidden behind masses of rhododendron, and admire the view of Lake Sunapee from the formal Rose Terrace and renowned hillside Rock Garden where a brook trickles to a Japanese water lily pool. The Fells is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a restoration project of The Garden Conservancy.
On Saturday, June 19, from 9 – 12, The Fells nursery staff offers an outstanding selection of quality perennials and shrubs from regional nurseries as well as those propagated and field dug from The Fells very own gardens. Get friendly advice from expert Fells gardeners! Open to members 8-9am and to the general public at 9am. Members, bring your membership cards and save 20%! Rain or shine. Held in The Fells Gatehouse Courtyard. For directions, log on to www.thefells.org, or call 603-763-4789.
Go on the road with the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture on Wednesday, June 23, leaving the Gray Lot with a car pool at 7:30 am, returning at approximately 7:00 pm. Rain or shine you will drive to Newbury, New Hampshire, to begin the day in the Lake Sunapee region with a visit to the grounds of The Fells, one of New England’s finest examples of an early 20th century summer estate (see picture below). At The Fells your guide is Thelma Hewitt, horticulturist with a specialty in native plants and wildflowers. The estate grounds feature a 100 foot perennial border, the Old Garden hidden behind masses of rhododendrons, a formal Rose Terrace, and a world class Rock Garden.
From the Fells, drive just up the road to the Hewitt’s for a garden tour and lunch. The next stop is the Community Garden at Tracy Library in the center of New London. Working with the Olmsted Brothers firm’s 1926 original plans and plant lists, the garden was recreated and replanted in 2002 by local volunteers, one of whom will be your next hostess, Carolyn Hager. Traveling to her garden near Pleasant Lake, you will find an unexpected surprise in a woodland setting.
You’ll end the day with a visit to the garden of Ann Loeffler in Elkins, at the far end of Pleasant Lake. Ann is a volunteer at The Fells, who says perennials are her ongoing great love, and her current craze is dwarf conifers. WCFH members $48, non members $60, includes lunch and snacks and garden admissions. To register, call 781-283-3094, or email horticulture@wellesley.edu.
