Brian and I closed out the summer this year by playing tourist in southern Berkshire County. A few weeks ago I shared about our lunch at The Meat Market in Great Barrington. Before lunch, we made our first ever stop at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge. The gardens had been on my list of places to visit for years – I love botanical gardens and wanted to check out what the Berkshires had to offer.
It was a little warm on the day we visited the gardens, but we still had a great time. Their summer exhibit, “Benched”, featured creative and fun benches placed throughout the gardens. I appreciated both the look of the benches and the opportunity to sit often.
The garden paths were fairly flat and easy to travel, many of them were shaded. Brian and I walked most of the grounds, taking in the pond garden, children’s flower and vegetable garden, edible gardens, greenhouses, herb garden and more. It was lovely to be outdoors, discovering plants we’d never seen and enjoying the peace and quiet. Despite being an August day and many cars in the parking lot, the gardens seemed almost empty.
We managed to cover most of the Berkshire Botanical Garden’s 15 acres in about an hour. On a cooler day, we probably would have stayed longer. I’m sure we’ll find ourselves back there in other seasons to see what is in bloom, or to bring guests, or to enjoy some of their special events. If you’re looking for a beautiful outdoor activity in South County, this is definitely a good place to stop. They’re open through Columbus Day and reopen in May!
