Welcome to a Garden of Great Music - To walk through the gates of Caramoor is to enter a world where music, art, and nature are cherished, cultivated, and shared with the community.
Caramoor’s gardens are maintained by Director of Horticulture Clifford Dickson. Mr. Dickson’s talent as a painter and sculptor is reflected in the design evolution of Caramoor’s many beautiful gardens.
Sunken Garden, Venetian Circle, Medieval Mount: Not far from the main entrance to Caramoor are the Venetian Circle, Sunken Garden and Medieval Mount. Surrounded by tall trees and shade-loving plants, the Medieval Mount has seating for quiet contemplation. It overlooks the Sunken Garden Close, which consists of breathtaking perennial borders and several center beds planted with annuals and perennials. Off to the side is the Juliet Gate, a 17th century Italian portal opening to the Cedar Walk — a long, wooded path leading through the Woodland Garden to Caramoor's Italian Pavilion.
The Venetian Circle, which echoes the pastels of the Sunken Garden, is framed by the 17th century Swiss Gates; two large Pegasus sculptures by Malvina Hoffman sit atop the stone piers which support the Swiss Gates.
Woodland Garden: With its three hundred foot Cedar Walk, lined on both sides with towering 70 year old eastern and western cedars as its focal point, the woodland garden is anchored in a network of broad, wood chipped pathways that create a diverse landscape of islands bordered by under growth or open meadow areas. The garden is also home to rhododendrons, dogwoods, sweetbay, hydrangea, styrax and clerodendrum; as well as a variety of flowering woodland perennials such as cone flowers, joe pie weed, columbine and lilies. In a corner hidden away among the trees and under growth, you can visit the Rosen’s old pet cemetery. The Woodland Garden pathways have soft ground lighting, and like all of Caramoor's gardens during the festival and special events, the pathways are lighted during the evening hours.
Butterfly Garden: Based on a design by Brunelleschi, the Italian Pavilion was formerly used as a viewpoint to watch tennis matches. Today the tennis court is paved with brick and covered with a tent, creating a popular site for weddings. The Butterfly Garden, comprised of plants chosen to encourage all stages of butterfly development, extends out from the pavilion, encompassing the Lion's Head fountain. The flowers’ pale orange, yellow, and blue hues match the antique floor tile of the Pavilion. During the summer months, the fountain’s splashing and the numerous butterflies add a sense of motion to the garden.
A bench in the garden offers a perfect vantage point for viewing the Tapestry Hedge, an immense collection of evergreens that has become a popular backdrop for photographs. The twin statues of Zephyr, the Greek god of the west wind, and Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, are attributed to the 17th-century Italian sculptor Antonio Bonazzi.
Sense Circle: In 1989, Catherine Ziegler designed this garden for the visually and physically impaired. Set around a dovecote that has been transformed into a fountain, the garden is separated into four quadrants containing plants that appeal to the five senses: varieties of highly scented, brightly colored, textured, and in some cases edible plants. A bubbling fountain, which may be used as a wishing well, adds an audible aspect to the experience, making this a favorite stop for visitors of all ages.
Iris and Peony Garden: Around the corner from the Sense Circle is the Iris and Peony Garden. Started in 1990 and now filled with ever-increasing amounts of blooms, the garden was recently augmented with day lilies to extend the season.
Spanish Courtyard: Cloistered by 12th-century Byzantine columns, the Spanish Courtyard is one of two outdoor concert sites at Caramoor. Four triangular planting areas are maintained in the corners, as are the base of the old wellhead fountain in the center of the courtyard, and various antique containers, including the Ram's Head pot at the entrance.
Art & Architecture: No day at Caramoor is complete without a visit to the magnificent House Museum. Twenty rooms of this Mediterranean-styled palazzo are open to the public and filled with a vast collection of European and Asian art and artifacts. It is one of only five such house-museums in the United States that incorporate entire rooms from European villas and palaces. This eclectic collection includes furniture, paintings, statuary, jade, cloisonné, stained glass, spectacular wall decorations and tapestries, all spanning many centuries.
Tours of the Museum are offered Wednesday through Sunday, May through October (and by appointment at other times). Group tours can be arranged. Afternoon Tea is served in the Summer Dining Room overlooking the Spanish Courtyard on Thursday and Fridays at 3:00pm, May through December. The teas are preceded by a tour of the House Museum at 1:45pm, and reservations are required.
The Renaissance Gardens at the Diane Moss Education Center These transform the entrances to the Center, making them even more warm and welcoming. Espaliered pear trees set off the front of the Center from the driveway and a grape arbor serves as the entrance to the adjoining Cutting Garden. At the rear main entrance to the Center, the geometrical plantings, fountain and benches provide a lovely, quiet area for reading and thinking.
The gardens were designed and planted by Dr. Joseph Seton and Clifford Dickson, Caramoor’s Director of Horticulture, and were funded through the generous contributions of Caramoor Trustee, Eileen Caulfield Schwab, in memory of her husband, the late Terrance W. Schwab, a long-time member and officer of the Board of Trustees. Additionally, the weeping cherry tree was planted in honor of House and Education Docent, Rochelle Kaufman, and is a present from her children.
Cutting Garden: Next to the working greenhouse, which is not open to the public, is the Cutting Garden, which consists of a series of eight raised beds used for cut flower production. The nearby compost bins, where used plant material is recycled, provide rich compost that can be added to the beds to support the intensive cultivation of a wide range of flowers grown for use at Caramoor.
Theater Garden: Started in 2000 and separated from the woodland garden by the Venetian Theater, the Theater Garden’s cobblestone pathway gently arches its way through the shade of tall trees and shrubs under planted with hostas, ferns, astilbe and lilies. The cobble stone pathway eventually leads to the garden’s focal point. Set in the middle of a large circular seating area, complete with old world style benches, stands a very imposing Victorian urn. Ornate in character, with its horse head handles and embossing of gun dog hunting scenes, it was manufactured in the mid 1800s by Bendroth Brothers Ornamentals of New York.
