October 1 and May 31, daily from 12 - 4 pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
Admission:
$10: Adults; $8: Seniors; $8: Youth (13-17 years); $6: Children (6-12 years); Children under 6 are free.
Added to JGarden:
2/1/2000
Last Updated:
11/2/2004
Sources:
JGarden Description:
In 1964, Doris Duke completed one of her life's ambitions when she opened these gardens to the public on an acre of land on her Somerville estate. A Japanese garden is among the eleven indoor landscapes developed in early 20th century glasshouses. She built the gardens in honor of her father, James Buchanan Duke, who made his fortune in tobacco. The project, inspired by DuPont's Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, began in 1959 and required a five-year process of experimentation and design to achieve a series of landscapes replicating various classic garden settings from around the world. Duke remained personally involved with the gardens until the mid 1980s, but they have been run by the foundation since her death in 1993.
The Japanese section includes a small teahouse, a wood bridge, fuji, azaleas, primrose, crocus; as well as a karesansui dry garden.
One-hour tours of the greenhouse display gardens are offered Wednesday through Sunday from September through May, rain or shine.
Tours run regularly throughout the day from 10:40 a.m. until approximately 3:15 p.m. with 15 people or less per group.
Located on Route 206, 1 3/4 miles south of the Somerville traffic circle.
Food, drinks or photography are not allowed in the gardens.
I would have the plum flowers
always in my garden
never falling
like the ones
that bloom before me now
Ume no hana
ima sakeru goto
chiri sugizu
waga e no sono ni
arikosenu kamo
http://www.dukefarms.org/