Smithville Mansion Courtyard Garden

Smithville Mansion Courtyard Gardens is located in Easthampton, New Jersey. The mansion is the main attraction here, but the formal gardens at the entrance, and the flower gardens along the pathway in the back are pretty, too.

The mansion was the home of Hezekiah Smith, the owner of a woodworking machine company.  He purchased the village of Shreveville in 1865 for $20,000 and renamed it Smithville. Over the course of several years, he developed the village into a model industrial town.

The 20-room Victorian-style house is open for tours daily at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 PM. If you wish, you may enjoy tea in the dining room for an additional $20.00. Cost of admission is $7.00 per adult and $6.00 for students and seniors.

Willowood Arboretum

Willowood Arboretum, located in Gladstone, New Jersey, is 130 acres of rolling farm land that has about 2100 different kinds of native and exotic plants. In 1908, two brothers, Henry and Robert Tubbs, used an inheritance to purchase a country home. They spent a lot of time developing the grounds. It is New Jersey's most comprehensive and longest continually-operating arboretum. Since 1980, it has been under the management of the Morris County Park Commissioner. Visitors will enjoy formal gardens and a lot of trees. One is a huge Redwood which is now more than 98 feet tall.

The arboretum is open daily from 8:00 AM to dusk. Admission is free.   







Before I go, I'd like to let you know that one of my blogger friends, Traci Terry, is having a give-away of my book, Don't Feed the Elephant. If you'd like to enter or read the nice review she gave, please go here.

Reeves-Reed Arboretum

Reeves-Reed Arboretum is located in Summit, New Jersey. It has an interesting history. The grounds were once a place of resistance during the Revolutionary War. An eighteenth-century farmer used it as a signal station to warn General Washington of the movement of British over the Hudson River against his encampment in Morristown.

The arboretum of today is the product of three families. In 1889, John Horner Wisner built the country estate known as the "Wisner House" that still stands on the property. It's used as a venue for art exhibits.

In 1916, the Reeves family bought the house and expanded the daffodil collection, which is impressive! If you visit in mid-April, there is a Daffodil Day which is perfect for viewing them in all of their glory. The Reeves also added an azalea garden. 

In 1968, the Reed family became the new owners. They added the herb garden and six acres of woodland trails.

The arboretum is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Admission is free, but a suggested donation of $5.00 is appreciated. 

Rutger's Garden

Rutger's Garden, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is a 180-acre garden which is comprised of a series of horticultural collections. The oldest dates back to 1927. Some of these include an American Hollies  Collection, Shrub Collection, Shade Tree Collection, Ornamental Tree Collection, and a Bamboo Forest.

There are plenty of walking paths, perennials, shrubs, exotic flowers, and even a 92-acre pond for visitors to enjoy.

The garden is open daily from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free. (In case you're wondering, income for the garden is generated through the rental of the pavilion and a log cabin for events. And also by donations.)


Before I go, I'd like to share a new book trailer video for my recently-released book, Don't Feed the Elephant. This one was done by ePublishingeXperts, the illustrator of the book, and features animation of the illustrations and a narration done by me. If you've never heard my voice, you might find it interesting !