Innisfree

The Innisfree garden is located in Millbrook, NY. I had read about it several times and knew that it wasn't far from my home. However, I wasn't convinced it was an authentic Japanese or Chinese garden. As a result, I put off visiting the garden until I was recently passing by.

Website: http://www.innisfreegarden.org/

I debated if I would include the garden in my list of visited gardens. After reading more about the history of the garden, and the work of Lester Collins, the landscape architect who worked on the garden for the owners Walter and Marion Beck, I decided to add it to my list. 

The garden was started in the 1920s as part of the Beck's country residence. Walter was inspired by the work of 8th-century Chinese poet and garden designer Wang Wei. As a result, many Chinese inspired features can be found within the garden. 

Lester Collins was influenced by Japanese design as part of his studies in Japan. As a result, Japanese elements are also incorporated into the garden's design. However, the garden is neither a traditional Chinese or a Japanese garden. It is a western interpretation, in the tradition of Frederick Law Olmsted, that results is a unique interpretation of a local/regional garden. 

The garden is well worth a visit, however, be prepared to see a garden that is naturalistic and tied to the landscape in a seamless way, rather than a traditional Chinese of Japanese garden.