Long Island Gardens of the Guilded Age

Dr. Cristina Leske, Distinguished Professor Emeritus from Stony Brook University, will present a program on Long Island Gardens of the Gilded Age.  Specifically, Dr. Leske, a member of the Three Village and North Suffolk garden clubs, will discuss gardens designed by a man whose name, appropriately enough, is an acronym of the word, flower.

Clarence Fowler (1870-1935), a prominent landscape architect in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, planned and developed several Long Island gardens, including one at Beachbend, St. James, an estate established in the late 1600s by the founder of Smithtown.  The garden was commissioned in 1927-28 by W. Dixon, owner of Beachbend at the time.  It had a U-shape design and included 592 perennials from 36 different species, as well as brick walls, paths and trees.

Today, only the hardscape of the garden exists (e.g., brick walls, stone structures), but the plants do not.  “No modifications were made,” said Dr. Leske.  “Time just took its toll.” But a member of the Smith family, current owners of the estate discovered the detailed, intact blueprints for the garden, a rare find, according to Dr. Leske.

Fowler’s designs aimed to harmonize the garden with the features of the home, emphasized the use of native plants and tried to provide continuous color throughout the growing season.  This program is free with regular museum admission.