Sonnenberg Gardens
Another travelogue post for those considering a visit to the Finger Lakes region of New York State. In this entry a little taste of what you can find in Canandaigua, NY. Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion is a preserved 1880’s Queen Ann style mansion and surrounding gardens originally built by a wealthy New York City banker as a summer home. The 40-room mansion can be toured, but the real attraction is the maintained set of gardens and greenhouses.
Wikipedia Link: Sonnenberg Gardens
The mansion itself and surround gardens are quite popular for events such as wedding ceremonies and receptions. (Two going on during the afternoon of the visit.)
The grounds themselves are a series of gardens of various sizes with different themes; blue, white, japanese, etc. There is also a large set of greenhouses supporting exotic plants (for that area) such as cacti, orchids, etc.
The rest of the page will be some short photo galleries.
Orchids in the Greenhouse
The Japanese Garden (built in the early 1900s)
Not as flat as previous Japanese gardens I have visited. From the tea house the garden works uphill a bit to end in a pond and a small waterfall. This garden is also surrounded by trees and thus has a secluded and peaceful feeling as well.
The Rose Garden
Fairly late in the season for roses, but still a large number of blooms to be seen. Pictures below are the highlights or what appears to be a fairly large collection.
Additional miscellaneous pictures
Flower bed - sample of those lining the walks around the greenhouses
Cacti in one of the greenhouses
Hibiscus blooming outside of a greenhouse
Koi in one of the larger ponds. Very attentive of visitors.
Record player in the mansion. Discs are copper and not vinyl.
More Flowers
Summary:
Not as wide of specialized a collection as compared to other locations such as the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, but still a lot to look at. The mansion is of historical interest. And if you don’t get the chance to tour wineries in the area there is a regional wine store that does tastings on the grounds.