Our Gardens
Our Founder, actress Carmen Mathews, was an avid gardener. When she wasn’t treading the boards on Broadway, she was often found beautifying the natural stage of her beloved New Pond Farm. Carmen’s green thumb has inspired the creation of extensive perennial beds throughout the property.
FARMHOUSE GARDENS
Adjacent to her 1800s farmhouse, you will find a lush native pollinator garden. As you sit on the bench dedicated to another passionate gardener, Fred Schroeder, you will be surrounded by the glorious blooms of Culver’s Root, Foxgloves, Joe Pye Weeds, Meadow Rue, Coneflowers, Phlox, and additional plantings that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
If you step down into the sunken garden behind the farmhouse, you will find shade-loving plants such as Wild Ginger, Hellebores, Hostas, Ferns, and Campanula. This enchanting space, bordered by stonewalls, rhododendrons, and a bubbling goldfish pond, is the setting for many of the Education Center’s special events.
In the backyard of the farmhouse, mature rhododendrons provide the backdrop for perennial beds that include butterfly bushes, iris, fragrant lilies, peonies, yarrows, and asters. Along the stonewall, there is a lily garden that reaches its peak in the middle of July, and on the other end of the lawn, under the false cypress, you will find hostas, ferns, Jack-in-the-Pulpits, and astilbes.
Our cutting garden runs the length of the old stonewall and features Iris, Heliopsis, Coriopsis, Astilbe, Lady’s Mantle, and Peonies. As you walk along this garden, toward the barnyard, you will see concord grapevines winding their way across the arbor. September is a lovely month to gaze up at the grape-laden vines and take in the fragrance of the ripened fruits.
MARY ANNE GUITAR GARDEN
Located between the Learning Center and Marchant Road, you will discover our largest native pollinator garden. This was installed in memory of our former board member, Redding First Selectman, and President of the Redding Land Trust, Mary Anne Guitar. Mary Anne was a renowned champion for the environment, open space, and native pollinators. This garden is filled with repeating plantings of Black-Eyed Susans, Wild Indigo, Yarrow, Coneflowers, Ninebark, Little Bluestem, Anis Hyssop, and more. The American Hollies next to the stonewall are growing in steadily, and they will eventually provide more screening for this special garden.
WEEPING CHERRY TREES
You will find a beautiful young weeping cherry tree at the western end of the Mary Anne Guitar Garden. This was planted in memory of another dear friend of the Farm’s, Yumi Massi. Although not a native planting, the Weeping Cherry is one of New Pond’s signature trees. There is a large specimen in front of the Learning Center, which is at least one hundred years of age. Every April, just in time for Earth Day, this glorious tree is covered with pale pink blossoms and alive with native bees and honey bees from our hives. Seedlings from this tree can be found scattered around the Learning Center.
Our Vegetable Garden
Located along our Farm Road, across from our stream, this seasonal garden has benefited from decades’ worth of compost-enriched soil. Thanks to the efforts of our Farm Managers and dedicated gardeners, this fenced-in area yields a bounty of fresh summer and fall vegetables that are enjoyed by our students and staff and featured in our annual Harvest Dinners.
STREAM AND POND GARDENS
The gardens surrounding the pond will be in a state of flux for the next few years. Our Wetland Renewal Project will begin in the fall of 2024, and the existing gardens of perennials will be replaced with native plantings that will hold the banks of our pond and marsh and provide food and shelter for our pollinators.