Innisfree Garden – Blending Landscape Design Seamlessly into Nature

One of the most beautiful public gardens in the United States can be found approximately 1.5 hour’s drive from Manhattan on the Taconic State Parkway, in Millbrook, New York. The Innisfree Garden comprises 185 acres, thoughtfully designed and landscaped to reflect the aesthetics of the original owners of the land and estate, Walter and Marion Beck. Walter Beck was an artist and teacher, and Marion, an heiress; both had a deep love of horticulture. During the 1920s they bought several hundred acres in Millbrook for a summer house. The built an exquisite Queen Ann style house settled on the hilly and heavily wooded plot, which included a 40-acre lake formed as the glaciers receded northwards. Their gardens were at first designed in the traditional English terraced garden style with vast, sweeping lawns and flower gardens. However, in the 1930s they discovered their love for the gardens of 8th century Chinese poet and painter, Wang Wei, while visiting London. In particular they adored the idea of having small garden vignettes, like small three-dimensional paintings that were referred to as “cup gardens.”

Lester Collins was a landscape architect who had traveled extensively in China, India, Japan and Tibet, which played a significant role in his future work at the Innisfree Garden. He was also heavily influenced by European Modernist ideas. When the Becks met with Collins in 1938, a decades-long friendship and working relationship began, and Collins came to Innisfree to start the planning to transform their property from English garden to more of what visitors see today.

From the 1930s until the deaths of Walter in 1954, and then Marion in 1959, the development of the landscape continued with Collins. Collins remained at Innisfree until his death in 1993, expanding upon the original ideals of the garden, but keeping the spirit of what Watler and Marion began. The cup gardens that had been a keep feature of the Innisfree were being more fully incorporated into the entire landscape design, with the addition of new trees, fountains, rock walls and formations, and a delightful bridge on the lake.

Innisfree Garden is a special retreat which really beckons the visitor to return at varying times of the year. With each seasonal change, the colors and light throughout the landscape shifts, and the experience can be completely different from spring to fall. The garden offers many uniquely-designed garden areas, and all are seamlessly connected to one another in the most harmonious and subtle ways. Guests to the Innisfree Garden should plan for at least 90 minutes to stroll the grounds at a leisurely pace, although it is recommended to allow for more time to really take in all there is to see. There is a great map that visitors can pick up at the entrance, or a downloadable version is also available. There are 49 points of interest along the winding pathways, but some highlights are certainly the Lake Path, the Overlook, the Terraces, the South Lawn, the Cup Gardens and the Water Sculpture.

There are also a number of scheduled events easily found on their website. On Fridays starting at 10:30 in September you can sign up for the Docent Tour, which offers an introductory tour of the gardens.  For early risers, the gardens are open this October 12th at 6:00am to catch the fall sunrise, where the first rays of the morning sun are reflected so beautifully off of the lake. That same weekend there is a fall-themed food and beverage event, where you can try local organic beer and hand-made wood-fired Pizzas.

Innisfree Garden has been the recipient of many honors and grants, just recently receiving  a grant from the Preservation League of New York State and winning the 2023 Dutchess Tourism Award. The Gardens are in a constant state of being maintained and thoughtfully developed with every measure taken to ensure that the ecosystem’s balance is the utmost priority. It is by far one of the most beautiful and serene gardens in the United States and worth the small journey to get there.