Arboretum & Garden
Stop 10.1: Spring
More information coming soon.
Stop 10.2: Summer
More information coming soon.
Stop 10.3: Fall
More information coming soon.
Stop 10.4: Winter
More information coming soon.
Stop 10.5: History: Rock Garden & Water Garden
Estelle Clements' journal entries chronicled much of the garden work she and Bessie carried out there between 1909 and 1924.
We believe Bessie was greatly influenced by a popular American garden author of the time, Louise Beebe Wilder, and re-designed the garden in the early 1920s.
Plantings changed as Bessie interests evolved. She frequently invited family and friends to join her for gardening activities and picnics in this favored spot.
DeWolf began construction of the Water Garden in 1907, after the successful drilling of a well in the cutting garden ensured a plentiful water supply for the new pond. The stonework was finished and water lilies and lotus planted in the spring of 1908. The Water Garden then was a simple rustic area. Like all the gardens at Blithewold, it has evolved over time.
Stop 10.6: Island, 1914
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Stop 10.7: Bessie in Water Garden
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Stop 10.8: Construction, 1929
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Stop 10.9: Visitors in Water Garden
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Stop 10.10: In Water Garden
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