Old Brookville -- The Cedars

The gardens for this 23 acre property were reconceived by Nelson Byrd Woltz into zones for the body, mind and spirit, with each section divided longitudinally. The park section contains many native trees; the garden section includes the entrance court, seven distinct rooms and a formal vegetable garden with a greenhouse; the forest has a pine and fern grove; water encompasses the swimming pool and a large pond with a pagoda on an island; the field has the tennis court, cutting garden and a golf green with sand traps. Repeated features in the formal gardens include allées, sheared hedges, brick and bluestone hardscapes, oversize urns and pots planted with either seasonal flowers or vines, and flowering trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials with white blooms predominating. There are brick pillars at the entrance gate that are repeated at the end of the driveway. A field of daffodils and redbuds has a path mowed through for strolling in the spring. Layers of shrubs that surround the rectangular lawns at the arrival court include white hydrangea, lilac, boxwood, and viburnum, with Russian sage and pachysandra as the lower story and three large magnolias above. Behind the house a blue stone path and steps lead to a bluestone terrace garden with arborvitae in the corners, white rhododendron, white Japanese anemone, and shaped boxwood all surrounding a circle of grass. A rectangular white garden with benches at either end contains tree peony, white bleeding heart, hydrangea, Japanese anemone and ferns. The secret garden enclosed by a brick wall has a gravel center court with a large urn that is replanted each season, a cement bench under a kousa dogwood, white tulips and bleeding heart, rhododendron and hydrangea. Outside the wall there is a bed planted with two rows of Japanese stewartia. A formal lawn has a reflecting pool in the center, allées of pollarded sycamore on two sides, and shaped boxwood at the far end. Another allée of yoshino cherry and large planted pots along the long walk leads to a walled formal vegetable and flower garden with a greenhouse. Teak tuteurs are planted peas in spring followed by tomatoes. Apple and pear trees are espaliered on serpentine brick walls. Teak lattice gates attached to one wall can swing out to support climbing roses or other vines. Nearby a pine and fern grove lost many trees during Hurricane Sandy but has an understory planted with dogwood, rhododendron, hay scented fern, Virginia bluebells, beech, redbud and mayapple. Grass steps with stone risers lead to the swimming pool with low stone walls. A hot tub set in stone is flanked by beds of perennials. Next to the pool there is a playing field with blue painted benches that look towards the fish-stocked pond. Japanese style bridges lead to two islands in the pond, one of which has the Chinese style pagoda and a weeping cherry. The other island is planted with river birch. Along the boundary of the property there is an allée of silver maple that leads to a circle of clipped hornbeam and the tennis court. There is a cutting garden next to a shed, and beyond that lies the golf green complete with sand traps. Persons associated with the property include: Charles Addison Blackwell, Esq. (former owner, 1929-1937); Frederick Chauncey Tanner (former owner, 1937-c.1950); Joseph A. Thomas (former owner, c. 1950-1977); estate of joseph A. Tanner (former owner, 1977-2002); Polhemus & Coffin (architects, c. 1926); Arthur F. Brinkerhoff (1880-1959) (landscape architect, 1929); Nicholas Molitor (gardener, 1946-2004); Cicognani Kella (architects, 2002); Innocenti & Webel (landscape architects, 2004-2005); Nelson Byrd Woltz (landscape architects, 2005- ); Sam Brush, Foxgloves Horticultural Services (landscape management (2015- ).

Normandie, formerly known as.