Hartford -- Scarborough Farm

The 4.79-acre property with a red brick Tudor influenced mansion built in 1913, and the grounds, were in disrepair in 1994 when the current owner gave it a name and began restorations. Mature trees including fruit trees were kept and augmented with more trees and shrubs in front of the house and in the center of the circular driveway. Many garden room designs were inspired by visits to gardens in England and Ireland, and garden features were acquired following visits to gardens in Europe and the American southwest. The owners added an outdoor kitchen to a patio with ornamental ironwork that had been built by the original owners in 1926. A nearby stone fireplace that is used year round was inspired by the outdoor fire pits in New Mexico. Three terraces or tiers divided by low stonewalls and new plantings connect the patio to the swimming pool. On the uppermost terrace there is a formal parterre garden with boxwood hedges and pincushion topiary. Grass walkways on the terraces are bordered by continuous blooms; lilies are favored and other perennials are added to extend bloom time. There is another patio with a hot tub, Adirondack chairs, and a stone lantern. A rustic arbor and stone steps lead to a lower garden and the vestigial Park River. The newest garden room close to the river is Asian-inspired, with Japanese cherry trees, dogwood, magnolia and weeping evergreen and a red painted footbridge over a stone 'river'.

On the north side of the property a restored former pony barn is used for storing garden tools. Nearby there is a new heated chicken house and vegetable garden with fruit trees enclosed by a white picket fence. A cutting garden with ironwork arches at each end has been added. Outside the kitchen there is a large herb garden, wall fountain on a gray fence, and a grape arbor on the site of a former dog pen. Other garden rooms include rose beds and a shade garden with hosta, fern, lily-of-the-valley and trillium. Flowering shrubs include lilac, mature rhododendron, and mountain laurel, the Connecticut state flower. There are extensive vines including eight varieties of clematis, three varieties of honeysuckle, trumpet vines and wisteria. Garden ornaments include a statue of Neptune next to the swimming pool, a tall angel on the patio near the outdoor kitchen, a large stone face set in one of the terraces, many planted containers and urns, and an armillary sphere.

Persons associated with the garden include: Charles A. and Ruth Cheney Goodwin (former owners, 1913-1953); Richard C. Levin (former owner, circa 1956-1970); W. Robert Lappin (former owner, 1970-1994); Benjamin Wistar Morris (1870-1944) (architect, 1913); Tony DiBatiste (gardener, circa 1913-1954).