Kykuit, The Rockefeller Estate, Pocantico Hills, N.Y.

Kykuit, The Rockefeller Estate, Pocantico Hills, N.Y.

Home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, Kykuit has panoramic views of the Hudson River, thus the name Kykuit, which means “lookout” in Dutch. The estate was built in 1913 for John D. Rockefeller John D. Rockefeller , the founder of the family empire. Members of the Rockefeller family occupied Kykuit until 1991 when it became part of the National Trust and Sleepy Hollow Restoration.

The beaux arts garden’s main features are classical sculpture, terraces with fountains, pavilions, elaborate urns and former New York state Gov. NelsonRockefeller Nelson Rockefeller ‘s collection of 20th-century sculpture. Numbering 70 pieces in all, works by Brancusi, Moore, Picasso, Matisse and Calder are displayed here.

Dumbarton Oaks: Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks: Washington, D.C.

Located in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks was the home of diplomat Robert Woods Bliss Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss Mildred Barnes Bliss . They acquired the 54-acre property in 1920 and hired landscape designer Beatrix Farrand to implement their vision of privately landscaped grounds.

One of Mildred Barnes Bliss’ favorite parts of her property was the Rose Garden, which was geometric in design and planned in the naturalistic manner of 17th- and 18th-century English gardens. Plantings include boxwoods, wisteria, clematis and winter jasmine and, of course, roses.

Vizcaya: Miami, Fla.

Vizcaya: Miami, Fla.

Located on Biscayne Bay, Vizcaya is considered the best example of a Renaissance garden in the United States. James Deering James Deering , heir to the International Harvester fortune, built the 180-acre Villa Vizcaya between 1914 and 1916 as a winter retreat from his hometown of Chicago.

The formal gardens have the traditional features of an Italian garden including water displays, sculptured grass beds, classical statuary, decorative balustrades, topiary-style trees and shrubs.

In 1952, Miami-Dade County purchased Vizcaya and opened it as a museum. Through extensive restoration, the villa’s remaining 50 acres are back to the way they appeared during Deering’s ownership.

Filoli: Woodside, Calif.

Filoli: Woodside, Calif.

William B. Bourn William B. Bourn and wife Agnes Moody Bourn Agnes Moody Bourn lived at Filoli, a 654-acre estate from 1917 to 1936. Bourn had earned his fortune from gold, utilities, wineries and water distribution. The estate’s name is a combination of the first two letters from the key words of Bourn’s credo: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.”

Inspired by European influences, the 16-acre garden is a series of garden rooms containing parterres, terraces, lawns and pools, arranged between the two parallel north-south walks. A variety of plants abound include camellias, rhododendrons, roses and magnolias.

In 1937, William Roth William and Lurline Roth Lurline Roth purchased Filoli. They continued to maintain and enhance the estate until 1975, when Lurline Roth donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Winterthur: Wilmington, Del.

Winterthur: Wilmington, Del.

The 966-acre Winterthur estate is the former home of Henry Francis du PontHenry Francis du Pont , a scion of the du Pont dynasty, made famous for its chemical empire. He was born on the estate in 1889 and was “head gardener” of Winterthur for most of his life.

The 60-acre garden contains a collection of exotic and native plants that have color almost year-round. For example, the peony garden, begun in 1946, is filled with Japanese, Chinese and French hybrid herbaceous peonies as well as tree peonies. The peony garden is one of two formal gardens at Winterthur. The second is the sundial garden created in 1957 on the site of the tennis and croquet courts from a design by Marian Coffin, a noted landscape architect.

Old Westbury Gardens: Old Westbury, N.Y.

Old Westbury Gardens: Old Westbury, N.Y.

Open to the public since 1959, this 150-acre estate possesses what is considered the finest English garden in the United States. It’s located on Long Island’s North Shore, made famous during the Gilded Age for its opulent mansions. Financier and sportsman John Jay Phipps John Jay Phipps built the estate for his English bride, Margarita Phipps Margarita , in 1907.

The Old Westbury Gardens has 88 acres of formal gardens, tree-lined walks, ponds and statues. There are stately willows, sycamores, maples and cypresses. Flowers include 2,000 boldly colored tulips, pansies, forget-me-nots, irises and poppies.

The Beard Garden: Oak Brook, Ill.

The Beard Garden: Oak Brook, Ill.

Susan Beard Susan and Ken Beard Ken Beard have lived on their three-acre property in Oak Brook, Ill., for 29 years. Features include a 19-foot bridge and an arbor that was completed in an effort to keep out deer.

Plants include 280 varieties of hosta, plus assortments of perennials, annuals and flowering shrubs. During last year’s Open Days tour the Beards hosted roughly 200 visitors.

The Hidden Garden of Lewis Creek Road: Hinesburg, Vt.

The Hidden Garden of Lewis Creek Road: Hinesburg, Vt.

This 26-acre property on several different levels is one of the largest gardens in Vermont. There is an extensive collection of hostas, shrubs and conifers as well as daffodils and 700 apricot beauty tulips.

Owner Marcia Pierce Marcia Pierce , who operates a bed-and-breakfast on her property, says she likes gardening for the relaxation and satisfaction it brings her.

Longview: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Longview: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Norm Bodine Norm Bodine ‘s one-acre property is situated on Long Lake. Its features include a small pond and a fountain. A stairway by a huge oak tree leads down to the lakeshore and a bed of lavender. There is a wind-protected green garden of holly, conifers and flowering Japanese plum trees.

Wissing Garden: Nashville, Tenn.

Wissing Garden: Nashville, Tenn.

Connie Wissing Connie and Edward Wissing Edward Wissing spend at least 20 hours weekly maintaining their garden on their two-acre property. The garden is built into a sloping hillside. There is extensive use of rock for walls and edging. Thyme-covered steps lead to a bubbling fountain, which is the central focus of the garden.

On June 3, the Wissings will open their garden for first time to Open Days tour .”We are madly preparing,” Connie Wissing says.

Watnong Gardens: Morris Plains, N.J.

Watnong Gardens: Morris Plains, N.J.

Gardening became a real passion for Frank Donn Frank and Helen DonnHelen Donn when 15 years ago they purchased a property that used to be a nursery located next door to their longtime home.

The 2.5-acre property has conifers, shrubs, hostas, ferns, perennials and a water garden. The Donns recently added a waist-high train set with four cars that measure between six and eight feet long and are filled with alpine plants.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden: Walnut Creek, Calif.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden: Walnut Creek, Calif.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden was the first in the United States to be preserved by the Garden Conservancy at its inception in 1989. It is a “dry” garden with a vast collection of cactus in fantastic colors and shapes. The Ruth BancroftRuth Bancroft ‘s garden has hundreds of varieties of succulents from dry areas from around the world.

In 1989, then age 81, Bancroft donated her garden to the conservancy, but she has since continued to live at her home.

Astilbe

Astilbe brings a graceful, feathering note to moist, shady landscapes. In cooler climates in the northern third or so of the country, it can tolerate full sun provided it has a constant supply of moisture. In drier sites, however, the leaves will scorch in full sun.

Feathery plumes of white, pink, lavender, or red flowers rise above the finely divided foliage from early to late summer depending on the variety. It will spread slowly over time where well-situated. Most commercially available types are complex hybrids.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Type:

Perennial

Height:

Under 6 inches to 8 feet

Width:

18-30 inches wide

Flower Color:

Blue, Pink, Red, White

Seasonal Features:

Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Deer Resistant,Groundcover

Special Features:

Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers

Aster

Asters get their name from the Latin word for "star," and their flowers are indeed the superstars of the fall garden. Some types of this native plant can reach up to 6 feet with flowers in white and pinks but also, perhaps most strikingly, in rich purples and showy lavenders.

Not all asters are fall bloomers. Extend the season by growing some of the summer bloomers, as well. Some are naturally compact; tall types that grow more than 2 feet tall benefit from staking or an early-season pinching or cutting back by about one-third in July or so to keep the plant more compact.

Light:

Sun

Type:

Perennial

Height:

Under 6 inches to 8 feet

Width:

1-4 feet wide

Flower Color:

Blue, Pink, White

Seasonal Features:

Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Drought Tolerant

Special Features:

Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance

Salvia

There are hundreds of different types of salvias, commonly called sage, but they all tend to share beautiful, tall flower spikes and attractive, often gray-green leaves. Countless sages (including the herb used in cooking) are available to decorate ornamental gardens, and new selections appear annually. They are valued for their very long season of bloom, right up until frost. Not all not hardy in cold climates, but they are easy to grow as annuals. On square stems, clothed with often-aromatic leaves, sages carry dense or loose spires of tubular flowers in bright blues, violets, yellow, pinks, and red that mix well with other perennials in beds and borders. Provide full sun or very light shade, in well-drained average soil.

Light:

Part Sun, Sun

Type:

Perennial

Height:

Under 6 inches to 20 feet

Width:

8-36 inches wide, depending on variety

Flower Color:

Blue, Pink, Red

Foliage Color:

Chartreuse/Gold,Gray/Silver

Seasonal Features:

Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom,Summer Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant

Special Features:

Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance

Perovskia atriplicifolia A genus in the Mint family that includes only 4 species, all aromatic subshrubs with silvery foliage and an open branching habit. The best of these is a native of Pakistan named P. atriplicifolia, and it's one of the great garden plants of all time.This semiwoody perennial carries a cloud of small blue flowers on widely arching stems that grow 3-4ft tall and as wide. The effect is a charming, airy haze of soft blue against silvery gray, pungently aromatic foliage. Bloom begins in July and continues right through September, which makes Perovskia an exceptionally long-blooming perennial. Plants are vigorous and very hardy, ignoring heat, drought, and pests, while always looking fresh. A superb companion for pink Malva, Garden Phlox of every hue, Rudbeckia, Sedum, ornamental Grasses -- you get the idea.

Phlox

Phlox are one of those bounteous summer flowers any large sunny flowerbed or border shouldn't be without. There are several different kinds of phlox. Garden and meadow phlox produce large panicles of fragrant flowers in a wide assortment of colors. They also add height, heft, and charm to a border. Low-growing wild Sweet William, moss pinks, and creeping phlox are effective as ground covers. Plant these phlox varieties at the front of the border, and as rock and wild garden plants, especially in light shade. These native gems have been hybridized extensively especially to toughen the foliage against mildew problems; many recent selections are mildew-resistant. To grow and care for phlox, they need amply moist soil for best overall health.

Light:

Part Sun, Sun

Type:

Perennial

Height:

Under 6 inches to 8 feet

Width:

6-36 inches wide, depending on variety

Flower Color:

Orange, Red

Foliage Color:

Chartreuse/Gold

Seasonal Features:

Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Drought Tolerant

Special Features:

Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance