8th Annual Connecticut's Historic Gardens Day

The Wilhelmina Ann Arnold Barnhart Memorial Garden at the Thankful Arnold house in Haddam will be open to the public on Sunday, June 26th from 12pm to 4pm in honor of the 8th annual Connecticut's Historic Gardens Day.

The theme of the event in Haddam is Scents and Sachets. Visitors to the garden will learn "how the Widow Thankful Arnold used herbs in the early 19th century for medicinal, household and culinary purposes."

The garden at the Thankful Arnold House features over 50 varieties of herbs. Guests will be able to make a scented sachet and complete an herb scavenger hunt. Light refreshments will be served. Admission on this day is free for both the garden and museum.

The original garden dedicated in 1973 and given in memory of Wilhelmina Ann Arnold Barnhart by her father Isaac Arnold, the benefactor of the Thankful Arnold House. The gardens were redesigned in the Colonial Revival style during the 1980's. Most of the garden is "now devoted to herbs used for cooking, medicine, dyeing, fragrance and other household uses, with a small bed featuring vegetables common in gardens in the early 1800s and a few old-fashioned annuals."

The garden has been recognized by the National Home Gardening Club and was featured in the summer 2003 issue of People, Places and Plants magazine.

Fourteen historic gardens in the state will offer special activities and tours. Prices and events vary by location. A complete list of activities can be found on the CT Historic Gardens website.

The Thankful Arnold House Museum is located at 14 Hayden Hill Road in Haddam, CT. The museum is open year round on Wednesdays 9 am–3 pm, Thursdays 2–8 pm, Fridays 12–3 pm and by special appointment.The garden is open to the public at no charge during the daylight hours. For additional information, call 860.345.2400.