Gardens & Wine. Simply Divine in Mystic Country

Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme. The gardens inspired some of America’s early impressionist painters. This National Historic Landmark, located on 11 acres along the Lieutenant River, boasts the restored gardens of Miss Florence Griswold. There are over 1,500 unique heirloom perennials and several different tree specimens, all of which inspired the works of Childe Hassam, William Chadwick and other renowned artists.

Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford. Home to the Italianate-style mansion Eolia (built in 1904), the summer home of the park’s namesake Edward Harkness. The estate’s grounds are home to gardens designed by Beatrix Jones Farrand, a renowned landscape architect whose works include gardens at the White House, Yale, and Princeton.

Connecticut College Arboretum, New London. Features two gardens: The Caroline Black Garden was established in the 1920s and named after Dr. Black, the first chairperson of the Conn College Botany Department. There are over 187 species of wood taxa in the garden, which is designed in four distinct “rooms” giving the effect of a number of smaller gardens within the whole; the Wild Flower Garden was founded in 1956 and is over two-acres in size.

Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic. Explore 10 miles of hiking trails filled with meadows, wildflower gardens, a pond, and woodlands.

Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic. Throughout the Museum's 19 acres you will find a diverse collection of gardens, trees, and shrubs. Their nine different gardens contain hundreds of different varieties of plants which accentuate the beauty and historical context of the river, ships, and historic village.

While you're there, stop by the vineyards below, which are currently open for outdoor seating.

Mohegan Park & Memorial Rose Garden, Norwich. This formal rose garden commemorates Norwich as “The Rose of New England” and is dedicated to all veterans of foreign wars. The garden includes 2,500 rose bushes in 120 varieties which are in full bloom in June but continue to blossom through the summer.

Rhododendron Sanctuary, Voluntown. Located in Pachaug Forest, this garden is one of Connecticut's eight National Natural Landmarks.

While you're there, stop by the vineyards below, which are currently open with safety guidelines in place.

Garden on the Bridge, Windham. This bridge connects Windham Mills State Heritage Park and a restored mill building. The planted container gardens are at their peak in June. It’s also pretty hard to miss its famous neighbor, the Frog Bridge, which carries traffic into Willimantic.

Roseland Cottage, Woodstock. In 1846, Henry C. Bowen, a New York silk merchant, built Roseland Cottage as a summer home. Here he hosted lavish Fourth of July garden parties for prominent guests, including a few US Presidents. The property showcases restored 19th century, parterre gardens with 21 flowerbeds all surrounded by boxwood. 

Quintessential Gardens at Fort Hill Farms, Thompson. Enjoy this farm’s perennial display gardens and 1,500 plant lavender labyrinth May-October. The flowers are in bloom in the late summer. Those looking to explore during the fall can enjoy their massive corn maze.

Logee's Greenhouse, Danielson. Famous for being the go-to spot for Martha Stewart to get her begonias, Logee’s has been growing and selling over a 1,000 varieties of tropical container plants for home and garden since 1892. Take home gorgeous blooms and make your home into a garden sanctuary!

While you're there, stop by the vineyards below, which are currently open for outdoor seating.