Mica Quarry Estate—Garden of Monika & Buddy Nixon

The garden reflects the owners’ quest for rare, distinctive, and hard-to-find trees that can be used in borders, groupings, and open spaces, and as elements of woodlands design. Trees must not only be hardy and disease-resistant, but also have the form, texture, and foliage for year-round enjoyment. The Nixon garden is known for having one of the largest private collections of these exceptional trees in the Northeast. In this garden, there are no perennial borders or parterre-style compartments with boxwoods arranged in linear fashion. Trees have been planted along meandering stone walls and paths; they accentuate rock formations and provide shade for conversation benches and private retreats. They are identified by markers, and a plant list is given out at the entrance. The thirty-four-acre garden features extensive stonework, a koi pond, a woodlands path, trails, a massive old mica quarry, and sweeping views of Lake Waramaug. Some of the trees in the collection with a large number of cultivars are Abies, Acer japonicum, Cercis, Fagus sylvatica, Larix, Liquidambar, Parrotia persica, and Sciadopitys.

Read more about the Nixon garden in this article in Connecticut Cottages & Gardens!

Directions: From Kent, take Route 341 East toward Warren and go about 6 miles. Turn right onto Kent Hollow Road. Go 0.25 mile, house is on right after passing lake on left. Watch for stone walls and two stone columns with lights. Park on road near the pond.

From traffic light in Warren, take Route 341 West toward Kent. Go about 3 miles and turn left onto Kent Hollow Road. Go 0.25 mile, house is on right after passing lake on left. Watch for stone walls and two stone columns with lights. Park on road near the pond.

Open Days 2019: June 16
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission to this garden is $10 per person and children 12 and under are free.

Don't forget to buy discounted admission tickets in advance. They can be used at most Open Days to make garden visiting easier.
Nonmembers get 6 visits for the price of 5 with advanced ticket book purchase.  
Members get 50% off ONLY by purchasing ticket books in advance.

DIGGING DEEPER: Saturday, June 22, 2019 | 10:30 a.m.: An Insider's Tips on Trees with Buddy Nixon