June 2026
Through the Garden Gate
The Beatrix Farrand Garden at Bellefield
Beatrix Farrand Garden Plant Sale
There is some lovely new inventory left in our time-honored plant sale! Pick up some Farrand-approved annuals and perennials and bring a little piece of the garden home with you. The shop will close Thursday evening, June 11th so we can begin packing orders. Thank you for supporting the Garden with your purchases, and we can't wait to see you on June 14th for pickup!
Sea Lavender — This stunner makes a ground-hugging rosette of dark green, shiny leaves, then sends up a quivering cloud of tiny lavender flowers in late summer.
A Day of Happenings on June 14th
Sunday, June 14 · 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Artists in the Garden
Spend the day exploring the garden while local artists create works inspired by the beauty of Bellefield. Meet artists, observe their process, and enjoy a unique opportunity to experience the garden through an artistic lens.
Sunday, June 14 · 1:00–2:30 p.m.
Ikebana with Lin
Discover the art of Japanese flower arranging with instructor Lin. Learn the principles of balance, line, and seasonal beauty while creating your own arrangement inspired by the garden's blooms.
Sunday, June 14 · 6:30–7:30 p.m.
FREE Brazilian Bossa Nova Concert
Enjoy an evening of Brazilian music in the garden featuring BOREAL, an ensemble performing classic bossa nova and samba-inspired songs. Bring a picnic and experience the warmth and beauty of Brazil's most beloved musical traditions in a stunning outdoor setting.
Upcoming Programs
Saturday, June 20 · 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Wild Pollinators: Diversity, Natural History, and Conservation
Join Kyle Bradford of Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Project for a fascinating introduction to native pollinators. Learn about the diversity of wild bees, their life histories, and simple ways gardeners can support conservation.
Saturday, June 27 · 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Wendy Hollender: Oblong Books Author Talk
Meet acclaimed botanical artist and author Wendy Hollender as she discusses her newest book, The Album of Plant Families. Discover the surprising relationships between familiar garden plants through stunning botanical illustrations and stories from her creative practice.
Saturday, June 27 · 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Storytelling Through Garden Photography
Learn how to create compelling botanical photographs with photographer Lori Adams. Open to all experience levels, this workshop explores composition, observation, and storytelling through images in the beautiful setting of the garden.
Tuesdays, July 7–Sep 1 · 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Growing Gardeners: Story & Craft Program (Ages 6–9)
Join us for a weekly story and craft program designed for children entering grades 1–3. Presented in partnership with local libraries, each session combines nature-themed stories, hands-on creativity, and outdoor exploration in the garden.
Saturday, July 11 · 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Harvest & Arrange: Techniques for Natural Arrangements
Join Christine Fontana of Peony Design Studio for a demonstration on harvesting flowers and foliage from the garden and transforming them into loose, natural floral arrangements that celebrate texture, movement, and seasonal beauty.
Friday, July 17 · 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Golden Hour Plant Walk
Experience the Wild Garden at its midsummer peak during a guided evening stroll with BFGA Horticulturist Ashley Gamell. Learn about native plants, garden design, and the ecological value of this dynamic demonstration landscape.
Sunday, July 19 · 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Capturing the Beauty of Plants and Pollinators in Watercolor with Pen and Ink
Join artist Cara Hochhalter for a hands-on workshop exploring native plants and pollinators through watercolor and pen-and-ink techniques. Suitable for all experience levels.
A Tour of Eight Mid-Hudson Gardens
Join us on Saturday, July 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for the Growing Together Garden Tour, a free, self-guided exploration of eight remarkable Mid-Hudson gardens.
From historic estates to thriving community gardens, each participating site offers a unique story, mission, and connection to our region's rich horticultural heritage. Whether you visit one garden or all eight, you'll enjoy a day filled with inspiration, beauty, and hands-on fun.
Participating gardens include Beatrix Farrand Garden, Blithewood at Bard College, Clermont, Eden Share, Garden of Eatin', Montgomery Place, Pleasant Valley Community Gardens, and Wilderstein.
Highlights from the Design Lecture
Landscape designer Lynden Miller, former Executive Director Anne Symmes, and Stephen Ives, Beatrix Farrand's American Landscapes filmmaker.
On June 7, we welcomed more than 140 guests to a sold-out 18th Annual Bellefield Design Lecture featuring Charles A. Birnbaum, President and CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation.
Highlights from the afternoon included:
- A thought-provoking lecture by Charles Birnbaum of The Cultural Landscape Foundation that inspired lively conversation
- An opportunity to meet members of our Rejuvenation Team, including Lynden Miller, and learn more about plans for the future of the garden
- Presentation of the inaugural Beatrix Farrand Award to Michael Dupree and Michael Fleischer in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to preserving Beatrix Farrand's legacy
- A sold-out gathering that brought together longtime friends and many new supporters
Most importantly, thanks to the generosity of our members, donors, sponsors, and attendees, the event raised more than $75,000 in support of BFGA and our Rejuvenation Project.
Michael Dupree holds the newly received Beatrix Farrand Award, with former Executive Director Karen Smythe and Michael Fleischer.
Rejuvenation Update
Our team of valiant volunteers has been busy at work removing vast quantities of phlox that have overrun their bounds in the pink, purple, and white borders. With some of the spreading species reduced, we can better inventory the plant collection in preparation for the redesign and rejuvenation of the flower beds. The gaps have been filled in with copious annuals. Don't worry, there's still plenty of phlox to enjoy this summer!
Notes From the Horticulturist
The Walled Garden is at peak spring bloom, with a cavalcade of peonies, valerian, sages, bellflowers, and windflowers opening daily. Towering vertical spikes of bear's breeches, Verbascum, and Yucca are threatening to open any day. We know that this garden has always prominently featured peonies — Nancy Morgan Patterson recalls her grandmother's stories of waking up to their heady fragrance wafting up to her second floor bedroom at Bellefield. Come help us figure out which one smells best!
Thank You to Our Members
Thank you to our many renewing members and new members. We are grateful for each and every one of you.
One new member recently bowled our volunteers over with her creative gardening journal. Another arranged a group tour for her garden club. A longtime member spearheaded the spectacular floral arrangements for the Design Lecture.
Please consider joining, renewing, increasing your membership, or introducing a friend — and help keep the garden growing.
"It is work, it is hard work, but at the same time it is perpetual pleasure... it seems to me all the arts are combined in this."
— Beatrix Farrand, speaking of her career
This living jewel of Arts and Crafts design was created in 1912 by Beatrix Jones Farrand. One of this nation's most important landscape designers, Farrand was a pioneer in her approach to design, education, and horticulture; professionalizing her discipline as a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (1899); and paving the way for more women to become professional landscape architects and designers.
Farrand's Hyde Park garden is open free of charge every day from dawn to dusk. It is located at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. Park at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center (see site map).