Step into New York’s historic estates and you’ll find a little piece of England right in the heart of the city. These gardens have preserved classic English traditions, with winding paths, elegant flower beds, and timeless charm.
I’ve wandered through a few myself, and each visit feels like stepping back in time. Take a stroll and let the beauty and history of these gardens sweep you away.
1. Walled Kitchen Gardens
Hidden behind brick and stone enclosures at estates like Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island, traditional kitchen gardens continue to thrive. These practical growing spaces supplied fresh produce to the estate’s residents year-round.
The high walls create a microclimate that extends the growing season and protects tender plants from New York’s harsh winters. Many estates maintain the original layout with geometric beds and espaliered fruit trees along the sun-warmed walls.
2. Herbaceous Borders
Lush, layered plantings at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers showcase the quintessential English border design. Towering delphiniums, foxgloves, and hollyhocks create a tapestry of color against evergreen backdrops.
Unlike formal gardens with rigid patterns, these borders celebrate controlled chaos with plants arranged by height, bloom time, and color harmony. New York garden enthusiasts can witness this living artform that reached its zenith during England’s Edwardian era.
3. Formal Rose Gardens
The rose garden at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown follows centuries-old English design principles with beds arranged in geometric patterns around a central focal point. Visitors find themselves surrounded by heritage varieties that tell stories of plant breeding history.
New York’s climate challenges gardeners, yet these historic estates maintain traditional pruning techniques and planting schemes. The rose gardens peak in June when the intoxicating scent draws visitors just as it did for aristocratic garden parties centuries ago.
4. Ha-Ha Walls
Boscobel House in Garrison cleverly employs this 18th-century English landscape innovation – a sunken wall that creates an invisible boundary while preserving uninterrupted views. From the main lawn, visitors enjoy sweeping Hudson River vistas without seeing the barrier.
This ingenious solution kept livestock from entering manicured gardens without spoiling the scenery with obvious fencing. New York’s estate designers adopted this feature to maintain the illusion of endless property while preserving the distinction between cultivated and natural landscapes.
5. Wilderness Gardens
Wave Hill in the Bronx embraces the English tradition of the “wilderness garden” where seemingly untamed areas contrast with formal spaces. Native woodland plants mix with carefully selected non-natives in naturalistic compositions that appear effortlessly wild.
These gardens reflect the English Picturesque movement’s reaction against rigid formality. New York’s varied topography provides the perfect setting for this style, with rocky outcrops and mature trees creating the framework for these artfully designed wild spaces.
6. Topiary Gardens
Ladew Topiary Gardens in New York’s Catskill region showcases the ancient English art of clipping evergreens into sculptural forms. Perfectly maintained yew and boxwood create living architecture that remains impressive even in winter when flowers have faded.
This labor-intensive tradition requires constant attention from skilled gardeners who maintain forms established generations ago. New York’s wealthy estate owners imported both the plants and the specialized knowledge needed to create these green sculptures that symbolized mastery over nature.
7. Water Gardens
Tranquil reflecting pools at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park mirror the sky and surrounding landscape, creating doubled beauty through reflection. These serene water features follow English traditions dating back to medieval monasteries.
The sound of water from fountains masks outside noise, creating peaceful sanctuaries. New York’s Hudson Valley estates particularly embraced water gardens, using the engineering knowledge of the Industrial Revolution to create sophisticated systems that still function today.
8. Cottage Gardens
At Planting Fields Arboretum on Long Island, caretaker cottages surrounded by abundant flower beds preserve the romantic English cottage garden style. Hollyhocks, foxgloves, and roses tumble together in seemingly casual arrangements that actually require careful planning.
Unlike grand formal gardens, these intimate spaces celebrate humble beauty and practical plantings. New York gardeners continue to be inspired by this accessible style that combines vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a joyful celebration of seasonal abundance and traditional gardening knowledge.