Locust Valley -- The Garden at Underhill

The Garden at Underhill is on a 10-acre property on the north shore of Long Island in Locust Valley. The garden reflects the personality of its owners, having been redesigned and altered over thirty years of ownership. The garden's original structure was designed in the late 1930s by the landscape architecture firm Innocenti & Webel, laid out around a much older frame farmhouse that was relocated to the site and altered in 1936. Today, the property features mature woodlands, streams, ponds, and fields are interspersed with Long Island's signature rhododendron and mountain laurel. Terraces, lawns, an eighteen-foot perennial border, an herb garden, and other garden areas planted with specimen trees and woody plants reflect the horticultural knowledge of its owner, a lifelong gardener. Much of the unusual plant material has been acquired at plant auctions, including auctions at Old Westbury Gardens and others. Perennials, shrubs and trees have been transplanted from other parts of this garden and from friends' gardens, creating a landscape that continues to evolve. Layers of evergreen shrubs, flowering trees, perennial borders, and herb gardens were added or expanded over time. Mature plantings of azalea, rhododendron, and mountain laurel are found throughout the property, including along a curved entrance drive bordered by yew, cherry laurel, Japanese andromeda, and flowering dogwood. Trees such as Japanese snowbell, stewartia, crabapple, and Yoshino cherry were integrated into garden beds near the house. Climbing plants including ivy and hydrangea cover brick walls and arches. An herbaceous border, backed by yew hedges and edged with bluestone, includes amsonia, allium, meadow rue, peony, foxglove, Baptisia, and Japanese anemone. Groundcover plants such as lamb's ears, geranium, and catmint provide seasonal texture, while roses, Clematis, and passionflower vine grow on tuteurs. A dedicated herb garden features thyme, rosemary, lavender, sage, and chives. Terraced borders near the pond contain Epimedium, Japanese maple, umbrella pine, beautyberry, St. John's wort, and summer annuals. A small peony garden planted with Itoh peonies, tulips, and iris is surrounded by paperbush, winterberry, and ilex. The pool garden includes climbing hydrangea, clematis, Japanese painted fern, oakleaf hydrangea, and crepe myrtle. Horse chestnut, cherry, and crabapple trees frame lawn areas to the south. Persons associated with the garden's design: Innocenti & Webel (landscape architects, Pauline Webel, 1930; Nancy Taylor, 2003); Bradley Delahanty (architect of south addition/pool house, 1930-1950s); Suzy Bales (garden designer, 2006); Barry Ferguson (landscape architect of west side of house, 2008); Constance Haydock (landscape architect of front of house, 2015); Scott Lucas (horticulturalist, 2007- ); James 'Frank' Finlayson (former owner, 1928-1950); Mrs. William Brigham (former owner, 1950-1989); James and Carol Large (owners, 1989- ).