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| Bedrock Gardens | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bedrock Gardens |
| Location | Lee, New Hampshire, United States |
| Established | 1999 |
| Area | 16 acres |
| Creator | Suzanne and Ben Wigley |
| Type | Botanical garden, sculpture garden |
Bedrock Gardens is a 16-acre botanical and sculpture garden in Lee, New Hampshire, created by Suzanne and Ben Wigley. The garden integrates landscape architecture, Sculpture and Horticulture traditions with vernacular New England stonework and contemporary art, attracting visitors from the Seacoast Region and beyond. It functions as a site for public exhibitions, private events, conservation projects, and educational outreach linked to regional and national institutions.
The property was established in 1999 by Suzanne and Ben Wigley after careers in Landscape architecture and Art history. Early development involved collaboration with craftspeople connected to the New England stonework tradition, the Historic New England community, and regional nurseries such as Mount Auburn Cemetery horticulturists and staff linked to the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Over time Bedrock Gardens hosted exhibitions featuring artists and designers associated with institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, the Yale School of Architecture, the Dartmouth College Department of Visual Arts, and curators from the Smithsonian Institution. The site has been documented in publications connected to the Royal Horticultural Society, National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, and periodicals tied to the New York Botanical Garden and the Royal Horticultural Society.
The layout emphasizes serpentine pathways, stone walls, and a succession of rooms informed by precedents at places such as Kew Gardens, Versailles, Piet Oudolf-influenced perennial zones, and the garden rooms of Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Key features include a granite-paved amphitheater, a wetland meadow inspired by projects at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and a stone bridge evocative of masonry at Mount Vernon. Structures on site draw on carpentry traditions represented by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities and workshops connected to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Landscape elements reference projects by firms like Oehme, van Sweden & Associates and designers linked to the Chicago Botanic Garden.
The plant collections combine native New England flora with exotic specimens chosen for texture and seasonal interest, paralleling collection philosophies at the New York Botanical Garden, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Arnold Arboretum. Notable assemblages include meadow grasses comparable to those promoted by Piet Oudolf, woodland understories like those cultivated at Biltmore Estate Gardens, and curated perennial borders reflecting influences from Jelitto Perennials and academic collections at Cornell University and University of New Hampshire. Horticultural techniques employed echo protocols from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and propagation practices taught at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Bedrock Gardens is known for site-specific installations by artists with associations to institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Architectural Association School of Architecture, and the Tate Modern. The integration of sculpture and landscape references historical collaborations between artists and gardens seen at Glenstone and Dia Art Foundation projects. Works on view have been executed by stone carvers trained in traditions linked to Madison Square Park Conservancy commissions, metalworkers with exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and designers whose practice intersects with the Serpentine Galleries and the Venice Biennale.
The site implements conservation approaches consistent with guidelines from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the New Hampshire Audubon Society, and the National Wildlife Federation. Stormwater management and pollinator habitat creation reflect protocols endorsed by the EPA and practitioners at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Native-plant restoration efforts mirror projects undertaken by the Nature Conservancy and local chapters of The Trustees of Reservations. Sustainable materials sourcing and stone reclamation reference standards used by the Historic England and masonry programs connected to the Preservation Society of Newport County.
Visitor services include seasonal tours, workshops, and educational programs developed in partnership with regional organizations such as University of New Hampshire, Dover NH Public Library-linked community programs, and adult-education offerings similar to those at the Boston Public Garden and Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The garden hosts concerts, lectures, and residencies with artists and designers affiliated with the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Association of Art Museum Curators, and academic programs at the Rhode Island School of Design and Yale School of the Environment. Interpretation and signage draw on best practices from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service.
Management is overseen by a nonprofit framework comparable to governance models at the New York Botanical Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden, relying on a mix of private philanthropy, membership revenue, event rentals, and grant support from funders similar to the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and regional arts councils. Volunteer engagement and internship collaborations connect to programs at Dartmouth College, University of New Hampshire, and conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy. Financial stewardship and capital projects have been informed by consultants with experience at institutions such as The J. Paul Getty Trust and Knight Foundation.
Category:Gardens in New Hampshire