On Sunday afternoon, I served as a "House Host" for the local Landmark Society's House and Garden tour. The morning was rainy and dark, but by the middle of the afternoon it cleared up, and we were really busy. Over 200 people went through the small, but charming, house where I was working. Before my shift, I made sure to leave home early enough so I would have time to visit the sunken garden that was on the tour. The quite expansive home on the same property was not on the tour. This is very unusual, but when you see the photos, you'll know the garden was exceptional. The rest of the street is a very ordinary residential street in a northern suburb of Rochester. Most of the homes were built in the early 20th century,
According to the Landmark Tour guide, the garden had been covered with leaves and debris for many years until the late 1990's. As the current owners began to remove the accumulated debris and underbrush, the "elaborate terraced gardens" were revealed that "had been largely lost to time." I was totally unprepared for the magnitude of this garden set on this quite unremarkable residential street.
I didn't have long to spend, and all the photos were taken with my iPhone. But it was the perfect opportunity to take photos to join in with Eileen's Five in Five monthly meme.
This is the first view you get as you approach the garden from street level.
A more intimate view of the stone bridge. (SPSH #9 Bridge and #10 Made of Stone) Note another stone staircase going up the opposite side of the garden.
The south end of the garden.
A detail at the north end of the garden; the rest of this side of the garden is a wooded area.
I took several other photos, including one of some statuary, the wooded area at the north end of the garden, and some beautiful flowering bushes, including a lovely wisteria. I'm glad I didn't miss this stop on the tour.
