The Garden Conservancy will sponsor a Bristol County Open Day on Saturday, June 11, from 10 – 4.
Landscape Designer Andrew Grossman’s Display Gardens are at 393 Fall River Avenue in Seekonk. Andrew says: “My gardens, which border the Martin Wildlife Refuge and the Runnins River, showcase a wide variety of perennials, shrubs, and grasses. The property includes a blue-and-white garden, a hot colored garden with a checkerboard thyme patio, a cottage garden planted with roses and other old-fashioned favorites, and a rustic pond surrounded by bog plantings. There is also a cutting garden currently planted with tea roses and dinner plate dahlias. The property is featured in Design New England’s 2016 March/April issue and is currently a finalist in HGTV’s Gorgeous Gardens competition.”
Directions: From Providence, take I-95 east to Exit 1/Seekonk/Barrington/Route 114A. You are now about five minutes from the house. At exit traffic light, bear left for Seekonk. Go through two more lights. At flashing light, bear left and stay on Route 114A/Fall River Avenue (do not go straight). Gristmill Restaurant and parking lot are on right, then a large yellow house on left. Take gravel driveway, marked by two white wooden columns, immediately past the yellow house on left, opposite parking lot for Vinny’s Antiques. The gardens are at end of driveway. Please park in driveway or in lot across street.
From I-95 West, proceed as directed above, but turn right off the exit and only go through one light before flashing light.
The McIlwain Garden’s address is 37 Medalist Drive in Rehoboth. This young garden abuts a golf course, providing expansive views in the English landscape tradition. Optimal plantings have been chosen for the range of challenging ecosystems from rocky/dry soil to windy sites with wet soil. A cluster of trees with filtered sunlight hosts rhododendrons, azalea, pieris, enkiantus, hellebores, and more. Most of the garden enjoys full sun. This is a garden for all seasons with the blossoms of the Okame cherries, saucer and star magnolias ushering in early spring followed soon thereafter by daffodils, grape hyacinth, Spanish bluebells, ground phlox, and PJM azalea. Early May sees the arrival of tulips, azaleas, the sweetly fragrant Viburnum carlessi, and lilies of the valley. By mid-May, the bearded iris have opened, along with the chives, allium, bleeding heart, and rhododendrons. By June, this is followed in swift succession by dogwoods, Virginia magnolia with lemon-scented blossoms, peonies, Dutch iris and gumpo azalea, coral bells, catmint, campanula, clematis and Geranium bikova. By late June, summer has arrived with hydrangea, roses, foxgloves, garden phlox, daisies, veronica, lavender, astilbe, blue salvia, anise hyssop, and Russian sage. Fall comes with assorted mums and asters and flaming fall foliage of a variety of Japanese maples along with red berries on the viburnum, holly trees, and winterberry. The red-twig dogwood shrubs maintain winter interest along with the topiary boxwood and mottled bark of the Stewartii tree. An herb garden with armillary sphere under planted with alpine strawberries is flanked by a blueberry/raspberry patch, pergola, and roses with lavender.
Directions: From I-195 take Exit 1 in Massachusetts for Route 114A. (Do NOT take Exit 7 in Rhode Island to Barrington via Route 114.). Proceed north on Route 114A through several lights to Route 44/Taunton Avenue. Turn right and go east through Seekonk and into Rehoboth where you will see a flashing yellow light. Proceed east about 0.9 mile to Mills Plaza on left. Drive another 0.3 mile to Bairos Construction followed by the cluster of stores of Winthrop Commons on left. Immediately after Winthrop Commons, turn left onto River Street (it is hard to see). On River Street, cross the 4-way stop, continue about 0.4 mile (passing Tranquil Lake Nursery on right) and turn left onto Hillside Avenue. Drive 0.8 mile, passing the Hillside Country Club on right, and turn right at the next road marked by a sign for Hillside Estates. This is Medalist Drive; proceed to the first house on the right which is #37 (red brick with white columns).
Also in Rehoboth is the Garden of Marjorie & Don DeAngelis, at 134 Hillside Avenue. The garden is a fenced in garden surrounding a pool and patio with broad views of nearby fields. The garden and plantings in the front of the house were recently redesigned and replanted. A new fence and stone wall were installed as main features of the garden. Consequently, it is a young garden that features annuals and grasses for color and textures.
Directions: Take I-95 to 195 East and cross the George Washington Bridge. Keep right to exit onto Route 44. Bear right at the fork in exit ramp onto Taunton Avenue. Follow Route 44 through East Providence, and Seekonk, to Rehoboth. Taunton Avenue turns slightly right and becomes Waterman Avenue in 0.2 mile. Turn left onto Hall Street and go 0.1 mile. Turn right onto Route 44/Taunton Avenue and go 4.8 miles. Turn left onto River Street and go 0.5 miles. Turn left onto Hillside Avenue.
Admission to this garden is $7. Don’t forget to buy discounted admission tickets in advance. They never expire and can be used at most Open Days to make garden visiting easier.
