When it comes to visiting gardens, timing is everything. May and June are generally the best months to visit the hundreds of gardens and arboreta open to the public in the region. In fact, the date for Mother's Day was selected to coincide with peak floral bloom.
Woody plants and forest wildflowers mostly bloom in mid-May, while perennial flowers and roses peak in June. Summer is the season for annual flowers, vegetable gardens, and tropical plants, while fall produces fruit and foliage.
Most gardens are open seven days a week in season and charge an a dmission fee.
THE BERKSHIRES
1. Naumgaeg Widely considered the most iconic public garden in New England, this is a must, and not only for the internationally famous Blue Steps with their white railings and half-moon waterfalls framed by birches. The designer, Fletcher Steele, developed the Choate estate's series of formal gardens for over 30 years (1926-58).
5 Prospect Hill Road, Stockbridge, 413-298-3239, trustees.org. Daily Memorial Day-Columbus Day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., admission fee, guided and audio tours.
2. The Berkshire Botanical Garden This 15-acre idea garden has greatly improved over the years so that if you are a hand's-on gardener, you'll find plenty to like, starting with the big May 10 plant sale. This year's theme is the nurturing garden for birds, bees, and butterflies and the plants that attract them. "We'll have a special area just for alternative gardening practices and products," said Dorthe Hviid, its gifted horticultural director. There's a current display of artist's birdhouses, and on June 7 the garden will unveil an exhibition of newly commissioned art with a companion MASS MoCA show, both curated by Denise Markonish.
Intersection of Routes 102 and 183, Stockbridge, 413-298-3926, berkshirebotanical.org. Best time to visit is any day now through mid-September. Admission fee.
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