Mother’s Day weekend this year I went to Connecticut with the intention of going on the Open Days Garden Tour in Litchfield County with my mom. After driving for 2 hours, though, another hour and a half in the car wasn’t too appealing. Instead, after a little bit of research, my mom and I headed to the Florence Griswold Museum and Garden in Old Lyme.
What a gorgeous place, with a wonderful story. Old Lyme, and more specifically Florence Griswold’s home and property, was the site of an artist’s colony at the turn of the century. Artists came to be inspired by the local landscape, and be part of a community of other artists. The museum and historical home feature some amazing works from the American Impressionists.
My favorite spaces, of course, were outdoors. The landscape includes a broad lawn down to the CT River, an outdoor sculpture installation, a raised garden area, and beautiful walls and plantings. This is definitely a place to come back to a bit later in the season, especially when their cafe is open for lunch!
The three sheds house the museum collection
I love this space, a simple bench beneath a pair of Amelanchier
Custom trellises with Hydrangea Vines
A view through the side porch toward the river
Gravel paths through raised beds to the original house
An outdoor sculpture installation “The Anticipator” by Matthew Geller
