New Vernon -- Chilcott Garden

Alice Recknagel Ireys began to design this garden in 1953, soon after the property was purchased by James Clemens and Ruth Hackney Chilcott. Ireys had already worked for the Chilcotts at their former home in Bernardsville, New Jersey. For this new garden, which featured an in-ground swimming pool, Ireys designed colorful garden borders backed by hedges for privacy. Lawns surrounded the house, while a terrace for outdoor dining and entertaining had an open view of the pool and nearby woodlands. A wide grass path bordered with lilacs outlined the area between the entrance court and a rose garden. A whimsical feature, pictured in Ireys' 1967 book, was a two-tiered shell fountain providing water for birds as well as the five Chilcott dogs. Molly Adams's photographs show the property at different seasons. Two of the contact print sheets are clearly dated October 1965, while other images are assumed to date from the same year. Additional documentation relating to the Chilcott Garden may be found in the Ireys papers in the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College.

Persons associated with the garden include: Alice Recknagel Ireys (landscape architect, 1953-) and James Clemens and Ruth Hackney Chilcott (former owners, 1953-1999).