Salt Point -- Ely Garden

The 55-acre property included an 1866 Hudson Valley style Victorian farmhouse with wide porches, historic black walnut, Norway spruce and massive arborvitae, worn out lawns and a five acre pond when purchased in 1971. Beginning in 1982 the current owners had gardens designed, first installing a gently curving driveway to replace one that ran straight from the road. They had added a stone terrace and shallow stone steps that became the starting point for long borders flanking a wide grass walkway, planted with perennials on one side and woody shrubs on the other. Towards the barn they placed a huge custom-built curved bench in front of a stone wall and hedge; parallel to the borders there is a long wooden pergola above low stone walls. Beyond the pergola there is a fenced meadow with a mowed path to the pond and beyond that there are woodlands. Other gardens include native plants, wildflowers, cutting flowers and vegetables. There is a decorative iron gazebo and another wooden gazebo moored at the pond that has a silent motor for perambulations. The cohesion and flow between the house and garden were influenced by Gertrude Jekyll's design principles, but a heavy shale substratum impairs drainage and necessitates rather frequent replanting of perennials and bulbs.

Persons associated with the garden include Dr. Gilbert Titus Pearsall (former owner, 1866- ); Mr. and Mrs. C. Robert Southworth (former owners, -1971); Tim Steinhoff (garden designer, 1982-1992); Laurie DeCiutiis (horticulturist, 2002-2008); Amy Pelletier (gardener, 2010-2017).