Gardens of Ithaca, New York with Julie Jenney June 11

Gardens of Ithaca, New York
with Julie Jenney
June 11-13, 2013
Clockwise from top left: Six Mile Creek Vineyard; Taughannock Falls overlook; the driveway to Cindy and Len
Lion’s private garden; Wayne Myers’ property; Nina Bassuk’s pond; a garden within Cornell Plantations; view of
Cornell Plantations; Nina Bassuk’s garden.
Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org
November 2012 Dear Scott Associate, I am pleased to invite you on a three-­‐day, two-­‐night excursion to the Gardens of Ithaca, New York, June 11 -­‐ 13, 2013. I will be your guide to experience inspiring gardens, sites, and tastes in and around Ithaca. Traveling by coach bus from the Scott Arboretum, we will visit four private gardens – three of which are quite extensive and have been created, maintained, and cared for by their owners for over 20 years. They are unique, personal creations that will leave you amazed! The garden owners are looking forward to our visit and plan to be there to greet us. We will also be spending time at Cornell Plantations. What is listed on their website is a perfect description: “Cornell Plantations is an area of great natural beauty – part of one of America’s most renowned university campuses.” We will also stop to take in the scenic beauty of Taughannock Falls, taste wine from Six Mile Creek Vineyard, dine at the famed Moosewood Restaurant, as well as Madeline’s Restaurant which offers a fusion of flavors and ingredients from the Pacific and Western worlds, creating a unique Euro-­‐Asian cuisine (save room for dessert!). We will be staying in the heart of Ithaca – an earthy, yet charming town you will have time to explore on your own. I am excited about this trip which will be stocked with treats of all kinds from beginning to end! Please note that due to the nature of booking hotel rooms it is necessary to have all deposits in by February 1, 2013. Also, this trip is limited to a maximum of 20 participants, so don’t delay sending in your application (last page of this itinerary). Details on the gardens, restaurants, vineyard, Hilton Garden Inn, and the town of Ithaca are included in the following itinerary. Costs below include all meals as noted in the itinerary, travel by coach, hotel, gratuities, wine tasting, and all entrances to properties. $ 860 per person for double occupancy $ 1,035 per person for single occupancy Trips are members-­‐only benefits of the Scott Arboretum. To become a member please contact the Scott Arboretum for more information. Please feel free to call or Email me with any questions about the trip or if you would like more information. June is a beautiful time to visit Ithaca – I hope you’ll join me! Best, Julie
Julie Jenney Educational Programs Coordinator Phone: 610-­‐328-­‐8024 Email: jjenney1@swarthmore.edu Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org Gardens of Ithaca, New York, June 11 – 13, 2013 Tuesday, June 11, 2013 10:00 Depart Swarthmore, 500 College Avenue Two rest stops 2nd rest stop: hand out boxed lunches from Panera 3:00 – 4:00 Garden of Nina Bassuk 1345 Mecklenburg Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 4:30 – 5:15 Refreshments at Taughannock Falls Overlook Taughannock Falls State Park Trumansburg, NY 14886 5:45 – 6:30 Check into rooms at Hilton Garden Inn and get settled 130 E. Seneca St., Ithaca, NY 14850 6:30 – 6:50 Meet Dan Klein, who is in charge of Ithaca’s beautification projects, in the Ithaca Commons outside the Inn for an overview of his work. Dan is also responsible for introducing us to all the private gardens on this trip. 6:50 Walk to Moosewood which is next door to the Inn 7:00 Dinner at Moosewood with Dan Klein Wednesday, June 12 8:30 Depart Inn 9:00 – 10:30 Garden of Cindy and Len Lion 219 Lansing Station Rd, Lansing, NY 14882 11:00 – 11:45 Garden of Emily Makepeace, small garden in Ithaca Noon – 1:30 Boxed lunches from Ithaca Bakery distributed in hotel lobby; time on own in Ithaca 2:00 – 4:15 Tour of Cornell Plantations 124 Comstock Knoll, Ithaca, NY 14850 5:00 – 6:00 Wine Tasting at Six Mile Creek Vineyard 1551 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 6:45 A five-­‐minute walk from the Inn to Madeline’s Restaurant 7:00 Dinner together at Madeline’s Restaurant Thursday, June 13 9:00 Depart Inn Get boxed lunches from Ithaca Bakery before departing from Hilton Garden Inn 9:30 – Noon Garden of Wayne Myers 1071 Michigan Hollow Road, Spencer, NY 14883 Noon – 12:45 Lunch at Wayne’s 6:00 Approximate arrival in Swarthmore Two rest stops Wine, beer, and snacks served on the bus en route $ 860 per person for a double occupancy room $ 1,035 for a single occupancy room Costs include all meals as noted (including wine and beer at both dinners), travel by coach, hotel, gratuities, wine tasting, and all entrances to properties. Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org Gardens of Ithaca, New York, June 11 – 13, 2013 THE GARDENS What is so fantastic about this trip is the scope of the gardens we will be seeing. Three of the four private gardens are very large, but they offer unique ideas on the use of borders, vegetable gardens, woodland plantings, tropicals, and hardscapes. All the private gardens we will see were created by the owners and continue to be maintained by them. All have a story (or stories) behind them! This is why, with a garden like Wayne Meyers, we will be spending ample time so you can see all that he has created, mostly with his own two hands. This promises to be a beautiful trip and one you will walk away from with usable information for your own garden. Nina Bassuk While Nina calls her garden a work in progress, it is fun and inspiring to see what has been accomplished. Set on nine acres, she and her husband actively garden five of them. The site was originally a dairy farm but the only features that remain from that era are large old sugar maples in front of the house and a dry stone wall where the barn used to be. The very long stone wall was rebuilt a few years ago and is now the backdrop to a shrub and perennial border. There are three fenced-­‐in vegetable gardens, including espaliered pear trees, as well as a pond. Many unusual trees and shrubs can be found in borders on the property. The large deck is home to numerous planters with tropical and tender plants. In spring, 50,000 Narcissus provide a major flower show. In addition to being an avid gardener, Nina is a professor for the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University. She was awarded the Scott Garden and Horticulture Award in 2008. Cindy and Len Lion Flowers welcome you the moment you arrive at this garden. Entrance plantings embrace the street and hundreds of blooming perennials line the brick driveway. Large beds around the house overflow with perennials, and dozens of planted pots grace the deck on the shady hillside. The gardens continue down a wooded incline where borders of shade-­‐loving perennials, ground covers, and shrubs surround a gazebo and folly. Woodland trails ramble through a forested area and along a small ravine below the garden. A boardwalk meanders across the ravine and a looped trail leads to a stream in a deep gorge. Emily Makepeace Emily moved into a very run-­‐down house and to balance the work of gutting it, much time was spent in her “Sanity Garden.” Her vow was to leave no grass to mow, no stone unturned, and to make her way through the brambles to the creek beyond the barn in the backyard. With few exceptions, if a plant doesn’t have beautiful or interesting leaves, it’s not there. The front porch is decked with plants that are overwintered inside. She doesn’t have acres to work with in this downtown Ithaca garden, but there is a lot of variety and inspiration for those who enjoy city living. Wayne Meyers Wayne has lived on this property since 1959. Since then he has created and built an incredible stone terrace with a sundial and small waterfall that spills into a pool that showcases fossils, most of which were found in the area. (The indigenous fossils found on Wayne’s property are just one of the fascinating stories he has to tell!) He also built a working mill using water from the nearby stream, a blacksmith shop meticulously showcasing what a blacksmith shop would have looked like, a covered bridge, and other farm-­‐related outbuildings with antique tools and equipment he has kept in mint condition. Near the stone terrace there is a beautiful perennial garden Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org and gazebo. Surrounding his extensive property are lush rolling hills and woods. Wayne is featured in a recent book available on Amazon called Built with Stone: Eight Contemporary Artisans by Steven Paul Whitsitt and Jesse Marth. This will be our last stop of the trip as we make our way out of Ithaca. It is a beautiful drive to get there, and after our tour we will have lunch at the covered picnic tables near Wayne’s house. Wayne is also a member of the International Brick Collector’s Association and around the picnic tables are many interesting and uniquely displayed bricks that he has collected over the years. You’ll be talking about your experience at this garden for years to come! Cornell Plantations From http://www.cornellplantations.org/ Cornell Plantations is an area of great natural beauty—part of one of America’s most renowned university campuses. As the arboretum, botanical garden, and natural areas of Cornell University, Cornell Plantations has a lot to offer. The F. R. Newman Arboretum features a wide range of native and cultivated varieties of trees and shrubs that are hardy in New York State. The collections include maples, oaks, crabapples, conifers, dogwoods, urban trees, and other species in a 150-­‐acre pastoral setting. The 25-­‐acre botanical garden features 14 specialty gardens, including herbs, flowers, heritage vegetables, international crops, rock garden plants, rhododendrons, peonies, perennials, ornamental grasses, ground covers, and plants with winter interest. Cornell Plantations protects and manages over 40 natural areas spanning nearly 4,300 acres of rich and diverse habitats. With some of the most scenic places in the Finger Lakes Region, Cornell Plantations has wetlands, gorges, glens, meadows, bogs, fens, and old-­‐growth forests. These ecologically important areas are available for research, education, hiking, and nature study. THE REST Ithaca, New York From http://www.ci.ithaca.ny.us/visitors/index.cfm Nestled in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York, Ithaca's natural beauty is unmatched, highlighted by its rolling hills, Cayuga Lake, breathtaking gorges, and cascading waterfalls. A community of artists, writers, performers, along with some of the world's leading scientists and researchers, Ithaca boasts an environment that values creativity, intellect, achievement, and success. Downtown features a pedestrian mall, one of a few left in the country. With an eclectic mix of retail, food and beverage, business, and the arts, it is considered the cultural and political heart of Ithaca. Ithaca is also home to Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College. Taughannock Falls Taughannock Falls State Park's namesake waterfall is one of the outstanding natural attractions of the Northeast. Taughannock Falls plunges 215 feet past rocky cliffs that tower nearly 400 feet above the gorge. Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org Moosewood Restaurant From http://www.moosewoodcooks.com/restaurant/ Moosewood, Inc. is a collectively owned business with nineteen members who share responsibilities and participate in the various jobs necessary to run what has grown from a very small natural foods restaurant to a larger and more diversified company. Most members of the Collective have worked together for at least 15 years, and some since the restaurant’s inception in 1973. The restaurant is further staffed by a talented and dedicated group of employees. With an emphasis on healthful natural foods cuisine, Moosewood Restaurant has operated successfully for thirty-­‐eight years and has been acclaimed as a driving force in the world of creative vegetarian cooking. Moosewood was named one of the “thirteen most influential restaurants of the 20th Century” by Bon Appétìt magazine. The Moosewood Collective has also authored twelve internationally acclaimed cookbooks, with the latest – Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health, published in 2009. Madeline’s Restaurant From www.madelines-­‐restaurant.com "This is an extraordinary eating experience for anyone who looks for nontraditional preparation of traditional foods, and the top standards of freshness and quality in ingredients…" -­‐ Jane Dickmann, The Ithaca Times Madeline’s is a fusion of flavors and ingredients from the Pacific and Western worlds, creating a unique Euro-­‐
Asian cuisine; the menu changes frequently and evolves constantly with the seasons, using the freshest ingredients throughout the year. Desserts are a highlight at Madeline’s, since the owner is the award-­‐winning pastry chef, Teresa Miller. Ithaca Bakery From http://ithacabakery.com/ A favorite in New York’s Finger Lakes region, the Ithaca Bakery features terrific sandwiches, homemade entrées and salads, artisan breads and bagels, superb pastry, and outstanding cheeses. Six Mile Creek Vineyard From http://www.sixmilecreek.com/ We will be trying a selection of white and red wines during our tasting. White wines: Riesling, considered by many to be the queen of white grapes, does especially well in the Finger Lakes region. The versions produced in the Finger Lakes are generally ranked among the best found outside Germany and Alsace Lorraine, its traditional homeland. The Chardonnay grape also excels here, as do many other white grapes. They benefit considerably from cooler growing climates essential to flavor and acid profiles key to the production of higher quality food wines. In addition to very good Riesling and Chardonnay, SMCV is known for flavorful and zesty wines produced from hybrid grapes among which Vignoles and Ithaca White are standouts. Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org Red wines: Though previously viewed as a disadvantaged relative to red grapes grown in warmer climates, the red wines of the Finger Lakes region are beginning to enjoy considerable acclaim. Within the Vinifera family, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir are competitive in quality to those grown elsewhere. Six Mile Creek reds are typically medium bodied, marked by a depth of character ranging from smooth cherry and oak flavors to a darker, richer sense of toast and spice. While food friendly reds predominate, SMCV also produces several wines designed for sweeter palates: Odyssey was created for lovers of semi-­‐sweet blush wines, while Dolce Vita offers a sweet touch to compliment deserts. Hilton Garden Inn The Hilton Garden Inn Ithaca provides the comforts you’ll need for your stay: a bed with adjustable firmness, high-­‐speed internet access, a refrigerator and microwave, an indoor pool and whirlpool, and fitness center. Stock your guest room refrigerator with favorite snacks and beverages from the 24-­‐hour Pavilion Pantry®. This hotel received the 2012 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Award, an honor awarded to establishments that achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site. TRIP CONDITIONS Arrangements: $ 860 per person is based on double occupancy. Single occupancy is $ 1,035. Trips are members-­‐
only benefits of the Scott Arboretum. To become a member, please contact the Scott Arboretum for more information. The cost includes all meals as noted, travel by coach, hotel, gratuities, wine tasting, and all entrances to properties. Individual extras (phone calls, cocktails, etc.) will be charged to rooms and must be settled before departure. It may be necessary, due to unforeseen circumstances, to alter the order of garden visits or, in the event of an owner’s illness or other unforeseen catastrophe, to substitute another property of similar attraction. The maximum number of participants is 20; the minimum is 16. FINANCIAL SCHEDULE Registration: To apply, please mail a deposit of $500 per person (payable to the Associates of the Scott Arboretum) with the required application form to: Gardens of Ithaca, The Scott Arboretum, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081. Refunds and Cancellations: If a cancellation is made before February 1, 2013, 50% of your deposit will be refunded. After February 1, 2013, your deposit cannot be refunded. In the event that there is a waiting list, possible refunds may be discussed on a case-­‐by-­‐case basis. Final payment is due on or before April 19, 2013. Cancellation after final payment: After April 19, the final payment cannot be refunded. In the event that there is a waiting list, possible refunds may be discussed on a case-­‐by-­‐case basis. Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org Important note on steps and walking: Some of the gardens have long driveways, steps, and stairways which are not accessible to those who have walking impairments. Please expect quite a bit of walking each day of the trip. RESPONSIBILITY CLAUSE The Gardens of Ithaca Trip, the Scott Arboretum, the Associates of the Scott Arboretum, and Swarthmore College act only as agents for the passenger with respect to all transportation, hotels, and all matters of reservations and tour operation. We and our agents accept no responsibility for loss, damage, injury, accident, delay or irregularity, expense or liability caused by the defect of any vehicle or negligence or default of any independent contractors, their employees, agents, or representatives. Nor do we accept responsibility for losses or delays arising from sickness, pilferage, labor disputes, machinery breakdown, quarantine, government restraints, war, acts of terrorism, weather conditions, or acts of God. All such losses or expenses shall be borne by the tour participant, as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated and as described in this brochure. We reserve the right to substitute services, features, and hotels of similar quality without notice. We reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. We likewise reserve the right to decline to accept or retain any tour participant at any time without being under any obligation to assign any reason therefore. In the event of the exercise of this right, we shall be under no liability to such person(s) except to refund such amount as our absolute discretion seems reasonable to attribute to the uncompleted portion of the tour. No refund will be made for the unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. Baggage is carried at the owner’s risk entirely. The transportation company involved in this tour is not to be held responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time the passengers are not on board their conveyances. The tour participant agrees, on behalf of himself/herself, his/her dependents, heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, to abide by the above conditions and to release and hold harmless the Gardens of Ithaca Trip, the Associates of the Scott Arboretum, the Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, and any of their representatives from any and all liability for delays, damage, loss, injury, illness or death occurring in relation to this tour. Any payment constitutes agreement by the individual tour participant with the terms and conditions contained in this brochure. Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org APPLICATION FORM Thank you for completing this required application form. Associates of the Scott Arboretum Gardens of Ithaca, New York June 11 – 13, 2013 Payment Information: Deposit amount is $500 per person Please mail your deposit check (payable to the Associates of the Scott Arboretum) and this application form to: Gardens of Long Island The Scott Arboretum 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA 19081 You may use a credit card (VISA or MC only) and call in your number to 610-­‐328-­‐8025, or you can list your information below. A completed registration form is still required. Credit Card #________________________________________________ Expiration Date__________ Name on card_______________________________________________ Signature___________________________________________________ Trip Information: Name______________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Home phone_________________ Cell Phone______________________ Email______________________________________________________ Willing to Share a room_____ Single Supplement_____ Roommate__________________________________________________ Current member_____ New member_____ Non-­‐vegetarian_____ Vegetarian_____ Any other dietary restrictions? __________________________________ I have read the trip conditions and responsibility clause and agree to all the conditions stated therein. Date____________ Signature(s)________________________________ _______________________________ Associates of the Scott Arboretum • 500 College Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 • 610 328 8025 • www.scottarboretum.org