The Garden Center of New Canaan, Inc.

History of Lee Garden

The 2.7 acre garden was developed by George S. Lee, Jr. who set out some 63 years ago to create a “peaceful place where plants can reveal their characteristic beauty in a natural setting.”  Lee wrote that his extensive plant collection “has been the fruit of a chronic curiosity to learn what plants would be willing to make their home in New England woods which in this area offer shade, granite rocks and thin, acid, soil.”  His property displays a wonderful alternative to clear cutting and planting a lawn in the rocky Connecticut woods.

George Lee devoted nearly 40 years of his life to plant collecting.  He was eager to share his ideas and plants with fellow gardeners, and made his garden “open at all times for whatever benefit may be derived from it by others.”  Upon his death in the 1978, he bequeathed his masterpiece to the Garden Center of New Canaan.  

Under the Garden Center’s stewardship, Lee Garden has been maintained largely by volunteers for the past 25 years.  The garden remains open every day to plant lovers and all who enjoy the serenity of nature.

Description of Garden's Plant Collections 

The sheer number and variety of plants in the garden present a wonderful learning opportunity for those interested in horticulture and gardening. George Lee, an amateur horticulturist, planted the Garden with every hybrid azalea introduced by Joseph B. Gable, as well as, hybrids of the Gartrell, Knaphill, Exbury, Kaempferi and Ilam types. The rhododendron plantings included hybrids developed by Shamarelle, Gable, Dexter, and Nearing, as well as, native species. The rhododendrons and azaleas bloom under a high canopy of oaks, maples and tulip trees and an intermediate canopy of dogwood and are underplanted with wildflowers, groundcovers and bulbs. Portions of the rhododendron paths are edged with luxuriant masses of epimedium.

The Garden’s collection of wildflowers and spring ephemerals include : Bloodroot, Oconee Bells, Trout Lily, Twinleaf, Primrose, Wood Anemone, Virginia Bluebells, Blue-eyed Mary, Trillium, Wood Poppy, May Apple, Bleeding Heart, Lily of the Valley and Marsh Marigold.  Bulbs in the Garden include Snowdrops, Winter Aconite, Iris Reticulata, Glory-of-the-Snow, Squill, Narcissus, Grape Hyacinth, Leucojum and Spanish Bluebells.

When to Visit 

The Garden is most often visited in the spring, commencing with the appearance of the early spring bulbs and ephemerals in March and April and continuing through the display of azaleas and rhododendrons in May and June.  The peak of the azalea bloom typically occurs in early May around Mothers’ Day and the peak of the rhododendron bloom follows later in May. Because of the diversity of the azalea and rhododendron collections, some specimens may be observed in bloom from early April into July. 

There is always something of interest in the Garden for those interested in plants and nature.  Listed below are some of the things to see throughout the year.

January

·        Winter walk in the rock garden

February 

·        Witch Hazel in bloom

March

·        Early Spring Bulbs and Ephemerals including

     Snowdrops, Aconite, Iris Reticulata, Hellebores etc.

April

·        Bulbs, Spring Ephemerals and Ground Covers including: Bloodroot, Oconee Bells, Primroses, Grape Hyacinths, Myrtle Bloom, Pulmonaria, Hellebores, Trout Lily, Squill, Blue-Eyed Mary, Twinleaf, Narcissus, Bleeding Heart, Marsh Marigold, Trillium, Anemone, Epimedium, Kerria, early  Azalea and Rhododendron bloom

May

·        Azalea and Rhododendron bloom, Spanish Bluebells, Columbine, Canada Mayflower, May Apple, Vancouveria, Trillium, Primroses, Wild Geranium, Bleeding Heart, Lily of the Valley, emerging Ferns, Viburnum, Silverbell Trees in bloom

June

·        Rhododendron and native Azalea bloom, Mountain Laurel Bloom, Cimicifuga, Wild Strawberry, Hosta, Foxglove, Ferns

July

·        Native Rhododendron, Stewartia bloom, Aesculus, Hosta, Jewelweed, wild Leeks

August

·        Ferns

September

·        Rose of  Sharon, Gentian, Chelone, New England Aster

October

·        Fall color in Azalea leaves, Viburnum, berries on Beautyberry

November

·        Berries on Winterberry, Viburnum, Dogwood etc.

December

·        Winter walk in the rock garden

Hours and Guided Walks

Lee Garden is open to the public from dawn to dusk every day of the year.  Admission is free.  Please note the walking paths are covered with wood chips, and some are rocky and somewhat steep.   Because of the terrain and its woodland setting the Garden is not handicap accessible.  There is also no restroom or available drinking water.

Guided walking tours for groups of 6-10 can be arranged from early April through June by contacting leegarden@gardencenterofnewcanaan.org.  The tours focus on what's in flower each week during the spring blooming season.  There is no set tour fee, but the GCNC asks that groups make a small donation to help with the upkeep of the garden.  Groups of 8 or more are asked to schedule their visit whether or not they have arranged for a guided tour, as this will ensure that there are not too many large groups visiting at once.  

Further Information

To schedule a tour of the Garden and for information about volunteer opportunities in the Garden  click here.

The Lee Memorial Garden is located at:

89 Chichester Road

New Canaan, Connecticut  06840

By Car:  The Garden may be reached via the Merritt Parkway, exit 36.  Proceed north on Route 106 toward New Canaan for 0.3 mile.  Bear left on Weed Street (before the railroad underpass).  Continue north on Weed Street for about 2.1 miles to Wahackme Road.  Turn left on Wahackme Road and continue for 0.6 mile to Chichester Road.  Turn right into Chichester Road.  The Garden is on the right about .2 mile. There is limited parking at the entrance to the Garden.

By Train:  New Canaan is served  by the MetroNorth railway and is the last stop on the New Canaan branch of the New Haven line.  There is taxi service from the train station. The Garden is about 2 miles from the train station.