Celebrating fall and community at Innisfree Garden

MILLBROOK — Leaves are beginning to turn from green to shades of orange, yellow and gold. This is a perfect time for a tour of the Innisfree Gardens. Noted as one of the finest gardens in the country, the tour includes about 1.3 miles of winding paths around a lake.

On Saturday, Sept. 21, Innisfree celebrated Northeast Dutchess Community Day with a tour of the gardens, free admission and a reduced rate of only $5 for the Curator’s Guided Tour for residents. Proof of residency was required, and was offered to residents of Amenia, Clinton Corners, Dover Plains, Millbrook, Millerton, North East, Pine Plains, Stanford, Washington, Wassaic and Wingdale.

The historic gardens were established in the late 1920s by Walter and Marion Burt Beck, who had a country home in Millbrook. Strongly influenced by their love of Asian art and poetry, this is evident in the seeming simplicity of the plants, water and rocks, yet careful planning and design, and the insight of Lester Collins, make the gardens breathtaklingly beautiful year round.

By 10 a.m. about 40 people were waiting by the welcome kiosk to get tickets; about half were from out of the area, including those from New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and other areas of New York.

The day was made possible by a grant from the Northeast Dutchess Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, and will be repeated on Saturday, Oct. 12, with a guided tour at 10:30 a.m.

Located at 362 Tyrrel Road in Millbrook, more information can be found at www. innisfreegarden.org.