Back in the day, Peter Kerr built this house on his estate and spent a lot of time creating an amazing garden. When he died in 1957, his daughters gave it to the Episcopal Diocese with the stipulation that the public could visit the grounds.
The Diocese has decided to sell the property, which means that if I wanted to see Elk Rock Garden (I’d been meaning to visit for 20 years) I’d better get going. The problem? It’s open Monday through Friday during the same hours I work.
My first plan was to visit on Martin Luther King Day in January, but that weekend became to busy. So President’s Day was my best bet.
The fancy house:
We haven’t had any February fake-out this year, so the garden is just beginning to wake up. There were a lot of budding things.
Here is the view from the upper edge of the property. I think the original parcel went all the way to the river.
An area for services.
The caretaker’s cottage. I spied a cat tree inside.
February isn’t quite peak moss month, but it’s close.
The seal on the gate.
Looking back at the house from the gardens.
I’m glad I got the opportunity to visit this garden. Hopefully the next owner will take delight in the gardens, or even keep them public.
