the gardens at beanacre farm

Our gardens are the heart of our property and reflect the care and imagination we put into every inch of Beanacre Farm. We have painstakingly recreated the character this space might have had back in the 1800s, and we are proud to offer these grounds as part of your vacation rental.

 When we purchased this estate in 1995, the gardens were overgrown and unruly. Gerard was a novice gardener with a thirst for knowledge. He first began his restoration of the land by clearing away years of weeds and neglect while carefully preserving the heirloom irises and peonies and other decades-old perennials. Not being one to do things “half-way,” Gerard fully immersed himself in the study of gardening. He began at The New York Botanical Garden then went on to study gardens in France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Scotland and perhaps most importantly: Ireland. Early on, he learned that Ireland offers the perfect climate for gardening, hence the nickname “the emerald isle.”

 Gerard studied structure, texture, design, color, and even aromatic qualities to create a space like no other, right down to the color of the tuteurs and surrounding buildings. The paint colors were developed by architectural consultants Donald Kaufman and Taffy Dahl, who came in from New York to advise on the best colors to highlight the flowers and foliage.

 The gardens tell their own stories, which change from season-to-season and year to year and are a favorite of local photographers, including Robert Preston, and Stacy Bass. (Most of the garden photos shown here on the website were taken by Stacy). When you spend time in these verdant escapes, you may come to understand that you’re a part of the story now too.