The Barlow Mountain Garden of Helen Dimos & Benjamin Oko

This 1735 saltbox, house of landscape designer Helen Dimos and Dr. Benjamin Oko, is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It is surrounded by perennial gardens that feature peonies, clematis, irises, and roses. Shrub borders contain boxwoods, hydrangeas, Viburnum, calycanthuses, and rhododendrons. Trees near the house include Stewartia and such native species as dogwoods, a fringetree, witch hazel, ironwoods, and elms. Farther out on the rolling lawn are the many trees planted over the last twenty years by the owner. She believes that, aside from architectural interventions, trees are the strongest elements in shaping spaces and creating distinct areas in the garden. Among these trees are white and mossycup (or bur) oaks, a fern leaf beech, a silver linden, and numerous conifers. Near the enclosed vegetable / cutting garden, there are magnolias. Farthest from the house, forming a backdrop at the bottom of the lawn, are a tupelo, a dawn redwood, and two Alaska cedars. There are also an ornamental grass border, a natural grass border, and a wetland edge border of mostly native shrubs. For approximately ten years, the property has been protected by an eight-foot wire deer fence.

Directions: From the south and west including North Salem, take Route 684 to Exit 7/Purdys/Sommers. Turn right off the ramp and, at the traffic light, turn left. Then almost immediately take the second right onto Route 116 (see sign). Follow 116 through North Salem where Route 116 is joined briefly by Route 121. Where 116 and 121 divide, turn right (at Vox Restaurant) to stay on 116. From this point, Barlow Mountain Road is 3.1 miles away on left. Turn left (you will see a grass triangle in the middle of the intersection and a boat ramp sign). Number 11 is the fourth driveway on right, across from a red mail box.

From southbound Route 22, take the exit for Routes 6 and 202. At the end of ramp, turn left. In a few miles, turn right onto Route 121. Turn left onto Route 116 by Vox Restaurant. Proceed as directed above.

From westbound I-84, take the exit for Route 7 South. Turn right onto Route 35 toward Ridgefield. Turn right at Copps Hill Road (just before the Copps Hill Shopping Center; Shell station and brick bank building on left). Turn right again at the end of Copps Hill Road onto North Street. Go about 2 miles north. North Street runs into Barlow Mountain Road. Number 11 is on left with mailbox on the right.

There is limited parking. If the parking area at the house is full, or you are concerned about being parked in, please continue past our house and take the first left onto Barlow Mountain Road, and then turn immediately right into the parking area for Pierrepont State Park. It is a very short walk from there to garden, but take great care to walk on right where you are not in the lane of cars approaching over the crest of the hill.

Open Days 2018: June 2
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission to this garden is $7 for members and nonmembers without tickets purchased in advance.

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.