Explore the gardens & grounds of Applewood at your leisure during any open day. The gardens are planted to bloom from spring through early fall, and we hope you’ll visit often to experience the changing seasons!
APPLE ORCHARD
When it came time to name the estate, “Applewood” was a natural choice. With a family history in the apple business, C.S. Mott was enchanted with the property’s apple trees, and he relocated the orchard in front of the house. C.S. selected his favorite varieties, and one Stayman Winesap tree remains of those he originally planted. Today, the orchard has 71 trees representing 29 heirloom varieties, which have tastes and qualities that are rarer among the common varieties found today.
CUT FLOWER GARDEN
The cut flower garden is filled with colorful flowers used to create arrangements for the house. The garden was originally located next to the tennis court and rose arbors in the lower gardens area of Applewood, and is now located near the Horticultural Support buildings.
DEMONSTRATION GARDEN
In addition to beautiful flowers, the Demonstration Garden includes herbs and vegetables and is planted to provide ideas and inspiration to visitors. The Demonstration Garden also includes La Brezza, a statue that was gifted to Ruth Mott on her 95th birthday. The original vegetable garden filled the lower gardens area of Applewood, and the fresh produce fed the Mott family and their animals.
PERENNIAL GARDEN
A colorful backdrop to the south side of the house, this formal garden has always been filled with flowers that come back every year and bloom from spring through fall. The Perennial Garden contains about 90 varieties of perennials and also includes about 20 beds of annuals.
ROSE GARDEN
The Rose Garden was originally the site of the Cut Flower Garden. Today, it follows the same layout with gravel walks and grass strips surrounding the beds. It includes 23 varieties of roses as well as beds of annuals and perennials.