The New Jersey Botanical Garden was an unexpected delight, and it was free! And we got very lucky because it had been pouring on the day of our visit, but stopped just as we arrived, and started up again just as we left. It’s hard to imagine the stormy weather from the bright blue sky in our pictures!
The 96-acre gardens are located on the Skylands estate in Ringwood, N.J. Also located here is the 44-room Tudor revival Skylands Manor, which is now an events venue.
The manor and gardens were built in the 1920s by Clarence MacKenzie, a New York City stockbroker and civil engineer. The gardens feature many different areas, such as Lilac Garden, Magnolia Walk, Wildflower Gardens, and Crab Apple Vista. It’s easy to imagine that every month would bring a completely different experience.
Warning: If you keep scrolling you’ll see lots of photos of flowers that I took!