SULLIVAN AND DELAWARE COUNTIES – Garden lovers in Sullivan and Delaware Counties are in for a treat on Saturday, June 28 as four hidden oases – some of the finest gardens in the area – will be accessible to the public for one day only as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days program. The gardens are: 

Cynthia and Charles Bonnes (Andes) This garden, nestled on a hillside facing the western Catskills, features four descending ponds that enhance the mountain views. Surrounding the house and a large barn, remnants of a former dairy farm, are several formal garden spaces delineated by native stone walls. These include a vibrant perennial border, a tranquil fountain terrace, and a productive vegetable garden. An elegant allée of Japanese lilacs ascends the hillside, while informal plantings gracefully edge two of the ponds and a connecting stream. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic on the expansive lawn or explore the property’s scenic hiking trails. 

Henderson Hollow Farm - Mermer Blakeslee & Eric Hamerstrom (Roscoe) This secluded garden, established in 1990 on a defunct farm, follows the natural contours of a dry streambed. Its dense, deep, and layered beds allow plants to retain a natural wildness, often forming drifts from self-sown seedlings. Paths seamlessly extend into the surrounding woodland and meadow, blurring the lines between cultivated and wild. The garden showcases ongoing stonework, including planted terraces, a rustic stone bridge, hand-hewn flagstones, and rebuilt walls. Rusty metal accents, such as antique farm equipment and an iron footbridge, add to its unique character. Featured in Garden Design magazine, the garden, along with the house, barns, and front porch, welcomes visitors. 

Sally’s Garden (Barryville) Located at the home of Sally Rowe and Anthony Biancoviso, it features two distinct ornamental spaces on a 1/5-acre portion of a historic twelve-acre farm. Both gardens, one established over three decades and the other more recent, were designed and created by Sally. These intimate, lushly planted areas showcase an impressive collection of trees, flowering shrubs, and a wide range of herbaceous perennials suited for both sun and shade, emphasizing native, fragrant, and pollinator-friendly varieties. Old stone paths and walls, gentle grass paths, and a small pond complete this delightful, personal experience. Anthony Biancoviso’s pottery studio and gallery are also on-site.  

Yaun Farm (Youngsville) This sprawling 20-acre estate is the weekend retreat of Tony Lepsis and Brian Whitney. This expansive property features restored gardens with a stunning vista encompassing a pond and hemlock and laurel woods, achieved through extensive tree removal and selective pruning. New plantings, designed to be deer-resistant, include mixed borders of spirea, boxwood, and Calycanthus shrubs, alongside epimediums, hellebores, hardy geraniums, and astilbes. Hostas and other shade perennials thrive near the house, protected by a six-foot fieldstone wall. Old lilacs create intimate garden rooms for summer hydrangeas. A vegetable garden is uniquely situated on an old barn foundation, with eight-foot stone walls forming a striking backdrop for its raised beds. Trails lead uphill, past native ferns, to a fire pit offering scenic mountain views. 

The gardens will be open from 10am-4pm 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. Visitors are reminded that no pets are permitted. All registrations must be processed online through the Garden Conservancy’s website. Visit gardenconservancy.org/opendays.  

Fueling America’s passion for gardens, the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days™ program is the only nationwide garden visiting program. In 2025, Open Days marks its 30th year. Over three decades, Open Days has welcomed more than 1.4 million visitors into thousands of inspired private landscapes – from urban rooftops to organic farms, historic estates to suburban sanctuaries – in 41 states.