Stonington – Bradgate Gardens

Bradgate Gardens is on a 4-acre property in Stonington, a waterfront town contiguous to Little Narragansett Bay off the coast of Rhode Island and the mouth of Long Island Sound off the coast of Connecticut. The gardens reflect a melded approach to celebrating English garden design while respecting the native plant material found in Southeastern Connecticut before European settlers populated the region. The overall garden was designed by English landscape architect Peter Cummin in 2008. The hardscape in the designs was adapted and built to maintain elements of traditional English garden design. The gardens' features include garden ornaments, pieces of sculpture, and gravel pathways lined with boxwood shrubs. The house is a straw-colored stone Georgian completed in 2011. A local stone mason, Rob Murphy, built the large red brick cantilevered chimneys, the stone facade, the matching entrance columns, patios, bluestone walkways, terraces, and retaining walls. Murphy moved a portion of the old stone wall, which had bisected the property, to construct a front border wall. The front retaining wall overlooks a meadow, with two low stone planters around the center of the lawn, which is bordered by a 15" half-moon hedge. Rows of ball topiaries frame the columns at the entrance to the property. Wide stone steps lead down to the dropped front lawn surrounded by perennial borders. A variety of flowers are ranged from front to back, most recently limited to plants with no animal appeal, including: hollyhock (Alcea L.), Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum Farw.), Ligularia, purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis), 'Gilbralti' bush clover (Lespedeza thunbergii), scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma), aruncus, speedwell (Veronica), wild indigo (Baptisia Vent.), crocosmia (Crocosmia Planch.), sage (Salvia), yarrow (Achillea), Leucanthemum, eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Moench), geranium, Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Grand Bleu'), foxglove (Digitalis), White Cloud Calamint (Calamintha nepetoides 'White Cloud'), and lady's-mantle (Alchemilla mollis (Buser) Rothm.). Several of the original trees were removed. Most of the other trees, principally maples, hawthorns, kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa Hance), serviceberry (Amelanchier Medik.), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), American (Ilex opaca Aiton) and English (Ilex aquifolium) hollies, a blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.), a stewartia, and a Franklinia have remained. To the south of the property, the lawn is bordered by tall Japanese andromeda (Cryptomeria japonica) and Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.). Garden file includes an extensive plant list and a plot plan.

Persons associated with the garden's design: Vivie Von Walstrom (owner and gardener, 2011-); Peter Cummin (landscape architect, 2008); Rob Murphy (stone mason, 2011).