The Amenia Garden Club
presents
The Real Gardens of Amenia Annual Garden Tour
Saturday, July 12, 2025
10 am - 2 pm Rain or Shine
ONLINE TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED.
Please visit any of the gardens on Saturday to purchase a $20 ticket with cash or check.
We look forward to seeing you in the garden!
Please visit any of the gardens on Saturday to purchase a $20 ticket with cash or check.
We look forward to seeing you in the garden!
This year's tour is proudly sponsored by Paley's Market and Garden Center
Tour Information
Join us for this year’s Real Gardens of Amenia tour, a celebration of creativity, diversity, and the enduring passion of local gardeners. Each featured garden is a true expression of personal dedication—cultivated with care by members of our community who love to get their hands dirty. With the exception of Wethersfield, these are not picture-perfect, staff-maintained landscapes—they are lived-in, well-loved spaces that reflect the individuality, resourcefulness, and heart of their gardeners.
We invite you to experience the joy, inspiration, and learning that comes from exploring five unique gardens, each with its own story and charm.
Tour Guidelines
To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, please review the following:
Join us for this year’s Real Gardens of Amenia tour, a celebration of creativity, diversity, and the enduring passion of local gardeners. Each featured garden is a true expression of personal dedication—cultivated with care by members of our community who love to get their hands dirty. With the exception of Wethersfield, these are not picture-perfect, staff-maintained landscapes—they are lived-in, well-loved spaces that reflect the individuality, resourcefulness, and heart of their gardeners.
We invite you to experience the joy, inspiration, and learning that comes from exploring five unique gardens, each with its own story and charm.
Tour Guidelines
To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, please review the following:
- By purchasing a ticket, you agree to assume all responsibility for yourself and your guests and release the Garden Club of Amenia and the participating garden hosts from any liability related to injury, loss, or damage during the tour.
- Gardens will be open rain or shine. Please dress accordingly.
- If you are feeling unwell, we kindly ask that you stay home out of respect for our garden hosts and fellow visitors.
- No pets are permitted in the gardens.
- Children are welcome but must remain under parental supervision at all times.
- Please note: Bathroom facilities are not available at any of the garden locations.
Garden Descriptions
Garden of Jim Flaherty
We purchased what was an old dairy barn about 15 years ago and then my talented partner, Bob Skibsted, converted the barn into a wonderful home, which I enjoy every day. The property was, well, nothing to look at. Mainly scrubby weeds and, at the back of the property, a modest hill with some rocky outgrowths and more weeds. Our garden & grounds are a daily testament to my late partner’s love of land and all the beauty it produces. Now, there is a rustic arcade with climbing roses on the vertical posts, an arc-shaped garden with irises (there are about 170 of them in bloom as I write this), and hundreds of peonies anxious to fascinate the eye. What else in the garden (not yet in bloom) are: columbine, day lilies, Shasta daisies, hostas, sedum, butterfly bush, lilacs and honeysuckle, and hopefully by the time the tour happens, some of the thousands of hydrangeas will be in bloom. There’s also a modest-sized raised garden for herbs and vegetables, which will enhance our plates for the months ahead. As you enter the property, there is an allée of handsome Autumn Blaze maple trees. In the same neighborhood, there are several fruit trees, which now and then produce a reasonable harvest. There are other blooming favorites on the property, including the Rose of Sharon and the smoke bush. And the two large trees in the middle of the “mound” which Bob created to provide privacy for the front door, are golden magnolias, which bloom, as you know, only a short spell when Spring first appears. The mound also harbors a wonderful group of Montauk Daisies, large, white, dramatic charmers, which bloom in the chilly weather of October and November. I hope you all enjoy it.
Garden of the Stefanopoulos Family
The Stefanopoulos family, owners of many restaurants in our area, are welcoming visitors for the first time to their compound in Amenia. Located high on a hill off Route 343, the property has sweeping views of the surrounding area. There is an orchard of fruit trees, a large vegetable garden and numerous perennial beds. There are also plantings around the family’s private chapel at the top of the property.
Garden of Thomas Tunk
I moved to the hamlet of Wassaic in January, 2020. By Spring, with Covid in full force, I started planning a new garden to spend more time outside and create something of beauty from that time period. Since the yard consisted of a lot of great looking grass and few plants from the previous owners, I virtually had a blank canvas to work from. I envisioned a series of garden rooms. I first worked on creating the perimeter beds surrounding the edges of the property, starting with the back garden first. The beds would contain a variety of plant material: perennials, shrubs and especially trees, to give more vertical interest and a little more shade to a mostly very sunny property. I hoped that as everything filled out, the beds would become more hedge-like and provide a sense of enclosed garden spaces. I also looked forward to creating a “collection of plants,” with old favorites and new beauties that I would come across that would add interest and variety. Being fascinated by the idea of a garden as a “collection of plants,” I could gain a deeper understanding of plants, this particular environment, biodiversity and conservation, and further connect to our natural world no matter how small right outside my doorstep. I have gardened my whole life; from assisting my parents with our ornamental and vegetable gardens, helping friends, family and neighbors in their gardens, and visiting many private and public gardens of all types around the world. I’m still learning and being influenced by all that I see and experience. This current “new” garden, or “gardening journey” has been a sort of a “gardening culminating experience” for me. It’s been a chance to utilize everything I have learned so far in life, reflecting on the past, digging into the present, and eager to see what happens: hopefully a little beauty now and for the future too.
Teeniepaw, Garden of Emily Fuller
As an artist, I am inspired by form, texture, and color. When I bought my mid 1960’s house, there was no garden, just lots of lawn. What you see now is what I did to eliminate much of the lawn, in the 19 years since I have been here, and plant a garden. It is a pleasure to walk on the garden path to see the lilac bushes, Eastern red bud tree, grasses, poppies, hydrangeas, and how they are doing. This part of the garden has east light and the plants do very well. Also, in the shady part of the path, the maple trees help bushes and plants that love shade. Along the north side of the house, I planted a cloud garden of boxwood bushes. In the lower west garden, I have a number of bushes that define the boundary from the carelessness of an untended slope of unmentionable wildness thriving below. This garden attracts insects, birds, and small animals. Some of the plants include a maple tree, two magnolia trees, grasses, and a cactus from Mexico that can survive our winters. The native plants planted here will, in a few years, spread by seeds and root to bloom at different times in the summer and fall. Some are good pollinators and provide cover for birds. My garden is a work in progress.
Wethersfield Estate and Garden
Wethersfield Estate and Garden occupies 1,000 acres in northeast Dutchess County, where it is the highest point in the region with an elevation of 1,200 feet. From that vantage point, it offers majestic views of the Berkshires, the Catskills, and the Taconic Hills. The Estate is comprised of a Georgian-style house, classical gardens, a carriage house, and a conservation farm. The Wethersfield garden is generally considered one of the finest examples of Italian Renaissance gardens in the United States. Wethersfield hosts a variety of formal and native-inspired garden spaces, such as an Arts and Crafts English perennial garden, cut flower garden, hedged yew topiaries, mature tree specimens, and 20 miles of trails for equestrian activities and hiking. Wethersfield strives to integrate the latest horticultural knowledge to maintain a sustainable and historical garden in a changing world.
Garden of Jim Flaherty
We purchased what was an old dairy barn about 15 years ago and then my talented partner, Bob Skibsted, converted the barn into a wonderful home, which I enjoy every day. The property was, well, nothing to look at. Mainly scrubby weeds and, at the back of the property, a modest hill with some rocky outgrowths and more weeds. Our garden & grounds are a daily testament to my late partner’s love of land and all the beauty it produces. Now, there is a rustic arcade with climbing roses on the vertical posts, an arc-shaped garden with irises (there are about 170 of them in bloom as I write this), and hundreds of peonies anxious to fascinate the eye. What else in the garden (not yet in bloom) are: columbine, day lilies, Shasta daisies, hostas, sedum, butterfly bush, lilacs and honeysuckle, and hopefully by the time the tour happens, some of the thousands of hydrangeas will be in bloom. There’s also a modest-sized raised garden for herbs and vegetables, which will enhance our plates for the months ahead. As you enter the property, there is an allée of handsome Autumn Blaze maple trees. In the same neighborhood, there are several fruit trees, which now and then produce a reasonable harvest. There are other blooming favorites on the property, including the Rose of Sharon and the smoke bush. And the two large trees in the middle of the “mound” which Bob created to provide privacy for the front door, are golden magnolias, which bloom, as you know, only a short spell when Spring first appears. The mound also harbors a wonderful group of Montauk Daisies, large, white, dramatic charmers, which bloom in the chilly weather of October and November. I hope you all enjoy it.
Garden of the Stefanopoulos Family
The Stefanopoulos family, owners of many restaurants in our area, are welcoming visitors for the first time to their compound in Amenia. Located high on a hill off Route 343, the property has sweeping views of the surrounding area. There is an orchard of fruit trees, a large vegetable garden and numerous perennial beds. There are also plantings around the family’s private chapel at the top of the property.
Garden of Thomas Tunk
I moved to the hamlet of Wassaic in January, 2020. By Spring, with Covid in full force, I started planning a new garden to spend more time outside and create something of beauty from that time period. Since the yard consisted of a lot of great looking grass and few plants from the previous owners, I virtually had a blank canvas to work from. I envisioned a series of garden rooms. I first worked on creating the perimeter beds surrounding the edges of the property, starting with the back garden first. The beds would contain a variety of plant material: perennials, shrubs and especially trees, to give more vertical interest and a little more shade to a mostly very sunny property. I hoped that as everything filled out, the beds would become more hedge-like and provide a sense of enclosed garden spaces. I also looked forward to creating a “collection of plants,” with old favorites and new beauties that I would come across that would add interest and variety. Being fascinated by the idea of a garden as a “collection of plants,” I could gain a deeper understanding of plants, this particular environment, biodiversity and conservation, and further connect to our natural world no matter how small right outside my doorstep. I have gardened my whole life; from assisting my parents with our ornamental and vegetable gardens, helping friends, family and neighbors in their gardens, and visiting many private and public gardens of all types around the world. I’m still learning and being influenced by all that I see and experience. This current “new” garden, or “gardening journey” has been a sort of a “gardening culminating experience” for me. It’s been a chance to utilize everything I have learned so far in life, reflecting on the past, digging into the present, and eager to see what happens: hopefully a little beauty now and for the future too.
Teeniepaw, Garden of Emily Fuller
As an artist, I am inspired by form, texture, and color. When I bought my mid 1960’s house, there was no garden, just lots of lawn. What you see now is what I did to eliminate much of the lawn, in the 19 years since I have been here, and plant a garden. It is a pleasure to walk on the garden path to see the lilac bushes, Eastern red bud tree, grasses, poppies, hydrangeas, and how they are doing. This part of the garden has east light and the plants do very well. Also, in the shady part of the path, the maple trees help bushes and plants that love shade. Along the north side of the house, I planted a cloud garden of boxwood bushes. In the lower west garden, I have a number of bushes that define the boundary from the carelessness of an untended slope of unmentionable wildness thriving below. This garden attracts insects, birds, and small animals. Some of the plants include a maple tree, two magnolia trees, grasses, and a cactus from Mexico that can survive our winters. The native plants planted here will, in a few years, spread by seeds and root to bloom at different times in the summer and fall. Some are good pollinators and provide cover for birds. My garden is a work in progress.
Wethersfield Estate and Garden
Wethersfield Estate and Garden occupies 1,000 acres in northeast Dutchess County, where it is the highest point in the region with an elevation of 1,200 feet. From that vantage point, it offers majestic views of the Berkshires, the Catskills, and the Taconic Hills. The Estate is comprised of a Georgian-style house, classical gardens, a carriage house, and a conservation farm. The Wethersfield garden is generally considered one of the finest examples of Italian Renaissance gardens in the United States. Wethersfield hosts a variety of formal and native-inspired garden spaces, such as an Arts and Crafts English perennial garden, cut flower garden, hedged yew topiaries, mature tree specimens, and 20 miles of trails for equestrian activities and hiking. Wethersfield strives to integrate the latest horticultural knowledge to maintain a sustainable and historical garden in a changing world.