Landcraft Garden Foundation Opens Gates for a Special Visit on July 12

On Saturday, July 12, the Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck invites the public to explore its grounds as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program.

“This opportunity allows visitors to wander through a meticulously cultivated paradise, showcasing decades of horticultural passion and innovative design,” the Garden Conservancy stated.

In 2020, Dennis Schrader and Bill Smith established the foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and educating on gardening, horticulture and environmental preservation. Their mission is to offer a horticulturally diverse garden that provides knowledge of the plant world, acts as a laboratory for experimenting with techniques and design, and brings delight. This 4-acre-plus public garden in the North Fork’s wine region surrounds a restored 1840s farmhouse, with gardens and terraces redesigned after a major 2008 renovation.

Visitors can explore numerous winding paths through perennial and mixed shrub borders, discovering themed garden rooms hedged by hornbeam and boxwood. The property also features a vegetable/herb garden, formal knot garden, bog plantings, meadow gardens, and a woodland shade area. Rustic arbors, trellises, stone walls, and a tiki hut housing exotic plants add to the charm. The newest meadow surrounds the “Ruin,” a subterranean grotto with a sedum green roof. Three locust wood roundels support climbing roses and exotic vines, underplanted with shade-loving species. Numerous sitting areas, a natural clay pond with a stream and bridge, and smaller ponds with water lilies invite relaxation. Plantings include tropicals, subtropicals, tender perennials and annuals, alongside hardy palms and a large grove of Musa basjoo. The Mediterranean garden, featuring subtropical fruits, also houses a bee yard. The house and gardens are encircled by 10 acres of rehabilitated meadows with mowed paths for viewing native plants and abundant wildlife.

The garden will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for registered guests. Tickets are $10 per person; $5 for members of the Garden Conservancy. Children 12 and under are admitted for free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. No pets are allowed. All registrations must be processed online at gardenconservancy.org/opendays.