Mary M. B. Wakefield Estate

*Start your tour here on Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Open Days coincides with the Wakefield Estate’s own Dogwood Days, timed to give the public a rare opportunity to enjoy our collection of hundreds of Chinese dogwoods (Cornus kousa) at their spectacular peak bloom. Polly Wakefield grew most of these trees from seed or cuttings collected from the Arnold Arboretum. The dogwoods are planted throughout Polly’s Formal Garden and Terrace Rooms along with other rare trees and shrubs, as well as lining either side of the Fountain Path Allée, that spans the entire length of the property—it is truly a magnificent sight to behold. This year, in addition to celebrating the kousa dogwood collection's annual bloom, the Wakefield Estate is excited to be celebrating its recent approved listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and formal certification as a Level II Arboretum by Arbnet, granted to certified arboreta that have at least 100 species of woody plants, employ paid staff, and have enhanced public education programs and a documented collections policy. Gardens and nurseries surround a farmhouse circa 1730 and a Georgian mansion circa 1794. The Wakefield-Davenport Estate takes its name and purpose from Mary “Polly” Wakefield, who lived most of her life at the estate. The estate is managed by the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust, which is committed to promoting life-long participatory learning using the land and resources of the Wakefield estate. Through collaborative partnerships with schools and community organizations, the Wakefield Trust carries out this mission through providing educational opportunities, tours, presentations, workshops, hands-on training, internships, and other programs covering a variety of subjects, including local history, ecology, horticulture, agriculture, archival work, and historic preservation.

www.wakefieldtrust.org

Directions: Exit 2B on 128, take 138 north for one mile. Bear right on Canton Avenue. Immediately get in the left lane to turn left and proceed straight across the intersection onto Brush Hill Road. Entrance is 100 yards from the intersection on the left, across from Fuller Village entrance.

Hours: Special Garden Conservancy Open Day Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; otherwise the estate is open some Sunday afternoons, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. during the growing season, and Monday through Friday during business hours by appointment only. A guided tour of the Wakefield Estate will be offered at 1:00 pm, rain or shine.

Admission: $7 during Open Day.