To know the Yaddo Gardens is to love them. And, if you haven't been over there yet to take a tour, it's time to fall in love!

Statue in pool at Yaddo Gardens

The gardens are an easy hop off of I-87. Get off at Exit 14 and head west on Union Ave. You'll be there in about a minute, after making a left at the first traffic light you come to. Follow the beautiful, wooded and winding road several hundred yards and you'll come to a small parking area to your right. Your first sights upon walking toward the gardens will be the beautiful pool with the statue and fountains pictured above, as well as the Trask Mansion up the hill to your right. 

Entrance to the Yaddo gardens with views through the gate.

Enter through the gateway and prepare to be charmed. Amazed. Filled with wonder. No matter where you look, you find beauty. 

Looking up the hill toward the pergola at the Yaddo Gardens

Winding pathway through the roses leading to the koi pond at Yaddo Gardens

Rose by the pergola with overlook in the background at Yaddo Gardens

These beautiful roses and gardens do not happen by themselves, however! They are all thanks to the passion of the many dedicated members of the Yaddo Garden Association. The Association was founded 27 years ago, in 1991. Over 80 gardeners and docents volunteer more than 4,000 hours annually to keep these beautiful flowers, plants and bushes in all their glorious splendor.

Long view of the pergola at Yaddo Gardens with pink rose bushes.

Full long view of the pergola at Yaddo Gardens with roses on both sides.

Yaddo Gardens stairs leading up to one end of the pergola.

The pergola at the back of the rose gardens has provided the backdrop to countless engagement and wedding photos. It's easy to see why. 

Pergola at Yaddo Gardens view of outer wall with roses.

I asked the Yaddo Garden Association if they could give me some quick facts to share in this post. Interesting tidbits that everyone might find interesting. They came through in a big way! 

Rose with blurred pergola in the background at Yaddo Gardens

Did you know?

  • The gardening season starts in late April and lasts through October! 
  • There are 1,250 rose bushes planted throughout the rose beds and pergola.
  • 10,000 white pines were planted around the gardens.

Pink roses at the top of the pergola at Yaddo Gardens

Large pink roses at Yaddo Gardens

  • The big fish in the pond are koi.
  • The roses bordering the sundial are Rugosa roses (Rugosa means 'wrinkled' in Latin).
  • The flowers in the container pots include geraniums, surdiva, and purple fountain grass spikes.

Koi pond at Yaddo Gardens

Sundial at Yaddo Gardens

And the magic doesn't end with the rose gardens. Continue on behind the pergola and enter an oasis of cool shade, lush plants, rock gardens, a fountain and gorgeous flowers. If you catch it at the right time of the morning, the sun's rays peeking through the treetops hit the fountain at just the right angle such that they create rainbows that dance through the droplets of water as they fall. Magical doesn't begin to describe it. 

Yaddo gardens area behind pergola

View of the pergola from the back gardens at Yaddo Gardens

The four statues located by the rose gardens are the Four Seasons, in addition to Christalan, and they have graced the Gardens since the early 1900's! 

One of the statues at Yaddo Gardens

The history of the Yaddo Gardens and the Trask family is interesting and rather tragic, and should not be overlooked, however, that is a story for another post. In the meantime, you can read all about it on the Yaddo website. You can also find information on booking the gardens for your wedding or photo shoot!

Garden view looking toward the exit archway, at Yaddo Gardens

Take a tour to see the magic for yourself!

Garden-only tours are held on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am from now through Labor Day. They meet at the entrance to the garden and the cost is $10/person. And new this year, on  Tuesdays during racing season and beginning at 5pm, GHOST TOURS will meet in the parking lot, also $10.00/person!

Or, if you would just like to enjoy a few moments of quiet solitude and enjoy the beauty yourself, stop by and enjoy the gardens at your leisure. Stroll around, sit on a bench, appreciate the heavenly fragrance, and feel the magic.

Exiting through gate to leave Yaddo Gardens

 

Many thanks to the Yaddo Garden Association for all of their hard work and dedication, and for providing me with all these cool facts so that I could share them in this article.

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