July 26–August 8, 2021
MOUNT WASHINGTON — Saunter with me from one artfully conceived and carefully maintained landscape feature to another on the rambling campus of Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG) in Stockbridge. This photo essay reflects a small sample of the 33 destinations described and mapped in the visitor’s Guide to the Gardens. I have focused on BBG’s efforts to engage the curiosity of guests of all ages – to deepen relationships between plants and people, and encourage interaction with the landscape. The appreciation shown for rustic structures prompts the viewer to think of new ways to imagine old things and prunings, rather than throw them out.
The photograph above is described in the Guide as follows: “26. Martha Stewart Cottage Garden — An exuberant garden area incorporating heirloom varieties and modern cultivars of flowers and vegetables, interplanted in the English cottage garden tradition and anchored by a garden shed featuring a living sedum roof…”
Continuing beyond the Cottage Garden, I found an inviting bench in the shade at the edge of the lush Pond Garden. A Dawn Redwood twig came into focus above my head, and then a vibrant, burnished red trunk behind me.
Walking along a path to find the legendary Weeping Hemlock tree, a ray of five huge leaves around a massive seed head appeared at eye level: a Big Leaf Magnolia formed a canopy that envelopes the passerby. Berkshire Botanical Garden is one of the oldest of its kind in the States, and so we enjoy specimen trees there. BBG’s mission is to preserve native habitats and provide environmental education concerning both local and global topics.
I approached the expansive Weeping Hemlock with BBG gardener Ryan Campbell, who described how children would crawl under the pendulous boughs and twigs where they met the ground all around. Garden staff took their cue from their precocious guests, crafting an opening to welcome the curious to experience the inner structure of a great tree.
Arriving at the Center House, an indoor destination that houses the Leonhardt Galleries, a library and the Thyme for Tea Café (highly recommended by Ryan), a wonderful Living Wall arrests the amazed viewer.
This Friday, July 30 from 6–8 p.m., there is an opening reception at the Gallery for Marc Dennis’ “Revolution,” a collection of paintings in oil-on-canvas and watercolor. Admission to the Leonhardt is free with Garden admission.
Crossing Route 102, which runs through the Garden, I arrive beside the Carol Tatkon Entry Garden, adjacent to where admission and touring begins. For this story, I had skipped ahead to the east side of the road, to return to the south side to learn about Campbell’s new design for the Entry Garden.
In his words, “Tatkon is a place of meeting, where our human context as beings upon this earth and as dreamers towards the heavens come together. The foundational crops, which have served countless civilizations and still today serve as our daily physical sustenance, are growing here, in the heart of ornamental plants, as an expression of our own creation of and search for beauty in a context accessible to each individual. When one is in the garden, the hope is that one is aware of the forgotten, the current, and the timeless in one integrated experience.”
BBG’s Children’s Discovery Garden includes this loom, one of many interactive projects in the garden.
In closing, an image of the iconic Herb Garden, built in 1937 with the founding of the Garden and located near the original Center House. Notice the moveable chairs, for ease of lingering, and offering views from different perspectives.
For the visitor: Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Rd. (Routes 102/183), Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. through October. Galleries 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Free admission on Tuesdays. Check with your town’s public library for a free museum pass. For fees and more information, visit the BBG website or call 413-298-3926.
Mark your calendar: Tom Zetterstrom’s “Portraits of American Trees” will be on view in the Leonhardt Galleries from September 17–October 31. An opening reception is scheduled for September 17 from 5–7 p.m. To see all upcoming Garden events, including on-site yoga, workshops, and Music Mondays, click here.
