Stamford -- Bartlett Garden

Located in Stamford, Connecticut, this four-acre property consists of land that has been in the Bartlett family since it was purchased along with a large tract of land by Dr. Francis Bartlett in the 1920's. Planted on one side of the house is a Bartlett chestnut tree, named as such by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1934 for Dr. Bartlett's efforts in creating a disease resistant chestnut tree. Some of the land once owned by the family now comprises the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens.

The current owners purchased the property in 1983 and began to clear the heavily wooded property in 1987. A terrace made of stone from around the property was installed next to the house, and by 1992 a large lawn area was established in the back of the property. The Liberty tree on the southeast side was planted in 1991 from seeds the owner collected during a visit to the 100th anniversary celebration of the Statue of Liberty. The seeds were propagated at the Bartlett Tree Laboratories in Charlotte, North Carolina and distributed to all fifty states. Forty trees were given to the city of Paris in recognition of their gift of the statue to the United States.

During this time a dwarf conifer and heather collection were planted to the southwest of the main garden, and in 1995 the one-hundred-foot perennial borders were created. Tom Erikson of Pine Meadows Gardens in Southbury, Connecticut was hired to give the garden design a sense of structure. The two pergolas were built, and the garden house installed. The garden house was originally a Bartlett Tree Company display at the 1996 New England Flower Show, for which the company received a gold medal. It was dismantled and rebuilt in the garden. Large bricks columns, a brick terrace, and a wooden pergola were constructed in front of it. The perennial border is mirrored by a rose garden backed by a yew hedge, and the second pergola separates the upper and lower gardens. Two sixteenth-century millstones, originating in Spanish Florida, were sunk into the walkways covered by the pergolas.

In 2000 the owners began extensive renovations to the house. They enlisted the services of James Doyle of James Doyle Associates in Greenwich and Diane Bilgore of DAB Designs, Inc. in Ridgefield. Together they added the "Lilac Walk" to the garden, inspired by the owners' many visits to Hidcote Manor in England. Also on the property are a gazebo, a shade garden, a fountain, and a sundial garden. The entire property is enclosed by a woodland area, and a stream and stone wall on the southeastern edge.

Persons associated with the garden include Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Bartlett, (former owners, 1959-1982); Tom Ericson, (garden designer, 1996-2001); James Doyle, (garden designer, 2004-present); Diane Bilgore (garden designer, 2005-present)