Words by Kerri Williams, photos by Cindy Shumate
Are you looking for inspiration for your garden this spring? Or, perhaps, like me, are peonies your favorite flower? Or would you love to plan a spring picnic–surrounded by extraordinary beauty–right here in Westport?
If any of these ring true for you, mark your calendar for Sunday, May 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., when Prospect Gardens will be open to the public through the Garden Conservancy Open Day Program. The 8.5-acre masterpiece of a garden includes perennial beds, trees of all kinds, two orchards, a pond, a meadow and even an amphitheater and greenhouse. Also in bloom will be a large collection of peonies planted against a stone wall.
I spoke recently about the garden with landscape designer Cindy Shumate. This year marks the 30th anniversary of her working on the property. Cindy, who owns Cynscape Design, was quick to point out that the work is a collaborative effort. Other major contributors are: Judy Gardner from Gardener’s Touch, Paul Sztremer from Wildflower Grounds Management and stone mason Tony Carella, who each contribute their unique knowledge and artistry.
In fact, Cindy said that she thinks of herself as part artist when designing the landscape there. She looks on the garden as a “living sculpture” that changes all the time due to another partner, Mother Nature. Her medium, instead of paint, is live plant material. And the finished product is three dimensional.
Cindy also loves hosting tours of the garden and has agreed to conduct a private tour exclusively for Westport Journal readerson Thursday, May 21, at 2 p.m. The tour fee is $15 in cash and will be due at the start of the tour. If you are interested, please register here. There is room for only 25 attendees, so it will fill up quickly. Check out the end of the column for details.
The trees on the property are of great importance to the owners, Cindy said, who had a vision of turning the land into an arboretum-style garden. They purchased the original house in 1999 and have since bought neighboring properties that they opened up to realize this vision.
Cindy was recently surprised to discover that there are currently 150 varieties of trees in the garden, with the latest project being to label them all. The garden includes two older white oaks, the state tree that I recently featured in this column, and they have also planted three new oaks, planning for the future.
Another recent addition to the garden is a meadow filled with native perennial plants and trees planted with the intention to support the visions of groups like the Aspetuck Land Trust and Pollinator Pathways. It’s on the farthest end of the property and is more than an acre in size. Cindy said that one of the lessons that the meadow teaches us is that the finished product has a lot to do with how nature takes over, making its own changes over time.
“Mother Nature teaches us that we have to be flexible and very patient,” Cindy said.
Another feature of the garden that comes alive each spring is the peony beds that are planted in front of a stone wall facing the houses. Cindy is a fan of massing the same plants together, both for the look and the ease of maintenance.
Not only are the peonies beautiful when in bloom, but their foliage also makes them lovely perennial shrubs for the rest of the season. Stay tuned for my next column – all about growing peonies.
The perennial gardens at Prospect Road are known for being highly colorful with intriguing plant pairings. However, another of the property’s best features is a garden area filled with all white blooming shrubs. Instead of using color everywhere, much of the property is designed to feature shape, line, texture and movement. The movement comes not just from the wind but from the shapes themselves, Cindy said. Even the lawn areas are part of the design, which adds excitement because of its simplicity.
The property also includes a vegetable garden sited on three stone-tiered beds, which is planted and tended by the Greens Farms Garden Club, who use their produce to help local charities.
For those who attend the open house on May 31, Cindy has created a brochure so they can wander the property and know what they are looking at. People are invited to come by in the morning and listen to the Staples High School Jazz Ensemble.
Cindy, the team, and the owners hope that their vision provides inspiration to others when creating their own landscape. For them, it’s all about working with nature and making a plan for the future. And when standing in all that beauty, who wouldn’t be motivated to recreate some of it in their own yard??
Cindy will host a tour of the garden on Thursday, May 21, 2-4 p.m. There is a $15 cash charge per person due at the start. Register here. Parking is on the meadow at 25 Prospect Road, or on the street. Participants should wear sturdy walking shoes and bring water. This is a private garden; there are no bathroom facilities, and it is not ADA compliant. The tour is continuous throughout the 8.5 acres.
Kerri Williams
Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.
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