Peonies in Bloom

Last weekend, I traveled out to Stockbridge to experience Naumkeag's famous peonies in bloom. My afternoon started with a wonderful luncheon with nearly 40 guests from throughout the Commonwealth, including many of our active Berkshires supporters and Board members. As we celebrated the beginning of the blooming season, I had the chance to share details of our ambitious, 30-month project to restore all of Naumkeag's beautiful landscape features to the splendor of their prime.

Naumkeag's peonies in bloom are a
welcome sign of spring.

If you read the spring issue of Special Places, The Trustees' member magazine, then you'll know that the gardens at Naumkeag are the result of a remarkable 30-year creative collaboration between Mabel Choate, whose family built the estate, and Fletcher Steele, the premier landscape architect who, in the 1920s and 1930s, redefined modern landscape design. The joy and delight that went into these gardens' creation is evident in every bloom and every detail – and it is their spirit of collaboration and whimsy that still shines through today and makes these gardens a draw for visitors from all over the world.

When Mabel Choate entrusted The Trustees to care for Naumkeag, it was a tremendous vote of confidence in us as excellent caretakers of this treasured place. The Trustees are so well known as caretakers of land, but as the nation's first organization dedicated to conserving properties for the benefit of public use, we believe that our cultural properties are just as powerful and compelling a platform for improving the quality of life of Massachusetts residents as our scenic landscapes.

That's why we're so excited to now be working to restore Naumkeag today – thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who has challenged us to match their $1 million gift by September of this year. We've been so inspired by this special place over the years, and we want others to be as inspired by its stories and its beauty for years to come.

Cindy Brockway shares the history of
the Peony Terrace.

As for my day on the Peony Terrace last Saturday, after the luncheon, we were joined by more than 50 more people for our annual Peonies in Bloom event. Cultural Resources Program Director Cindy Brockway shared with all of us the history of these striking fieldstone terraces and the 60 varieties of flowers that bloom here, while Scott Fulford, our Garden Restoration Expert Guide, gave our group a detailed update on the project (the renovation of the famed Blue Steps is well under way!), and Interpretive Manager Wally Swist gave a reading of Mary Oliver's poem "Peonies."

It was a wonderful way to welcome spring, to celebrate these gardens in bloom – and to look ahead to the renewed and revitalized Naumkeag to come.

Welcome to Spring!

Spring at Long Hill

The past few days I’ve been out and about! I started Monday at Long Hill in Beverly. With the day's mild temperatures, I had the wonderful opportunity to hike the trails of this spectacular property for the first time. A lovely vernal pool, rare plants in the unique gardens courtesy of our superintendent and horticulturalist extraordinaire Dan Bouchard, and our loyal volunteers were the highlight of the brisk 30 minutes. As we all get ready to prepare for the spring and summer seasons, it was great to see our staff hard at work and the flowers struggling for their first bloom. On your next outing to Long Hill, please don’t miss a walk on the trails in addition to a stroll through the beautiful gardens. (And, don't miss our annual Long Hill Plant Sale in just a few weeks – it's a highlight of the spring season!)

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to travel to Albany, New York, where I was interviewed by infamous commentator, Alan Chartock. We discussed the beauty of the Berkshires and the challenges of working in conservation today. Alan is passionate about the work of The Trustees and very knowledgeable about the nonprofits working in the area as well as the importance of our collaborations throughout the region. I then travelled to Stockbridge to meet with the producers of WCVB Channel 5’s Chronicle, where we discussed Naumkeag as a wonderful surviving example of the architecture and lifestyle of the Gilded-Age. Earlier in the week, the producers had visited the Great House at Castle Hill, so I look forward to sharing both Naumkeag and Castle Hill with new audiences through this popular, Boston-based newsmagazine show. We'll post the link to the show as soon as it's available!

Southeast Regional Director John
Vasconcellos with Chief Marketing
Officer Matt Montgomery at
the Lyman Reserve.

And on Wednesday, I paid my first visit to two South Coast properties with two new staffers! I am delighted to welcome Matt Montgomery and Kelly Maclean Clark to our executive management team and thrilled to be sharing our special places with them. Together we toured Eastover Farm and Lyman Reserve in the Southeast Region, both hidden jewels. Lyman is a naturalist’s paradise and Eastover Farm is a great example of how public and private partnerships can create powerful conservation. When we talk about our reservations of the Southeast, we often refer to the islands but I find the lesser-known properties here to be as iconic. Experiencing the South Coast is like travelling to a new place. I am grateful for the continued work of our Regional Director, John Vasconcellos; our Director of South Coast Conservation, Jennifer Dubois; and the entire Southeast regional  team for their professionalism, commitment and creativity.

Welcome to Spring!