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BEDROCK GARDENS
Bedrock Gardens is a nonprofit public garden that integrates unusual botanical specimens, unique sculptures, and interesting landscape design and features into an inspiring journey. This 30-acre site has recently transitioned from a historic farm and private garden to a public oasis of horticulture, art, and inspiration.
Bedrock Gardens is a nonprofit public garden that integrates unusual botanical specimens, unique sculptures, and interesting landscape design and features into an inspiring journey. This 30-acre site has recently transitioned from a historic farm and private garden to a public oasis of horticulture, art, and inspiration.
Of Interest...
We are open for the 2026 season!
- We are open Tuesday thru Friday and the first and third weekends of the month.
- Get a preview of What's in Bloom below (scroll down) or on our new Blooms page HERE.
- Here are some Quick Links to Visiting, Membership, and Donate pages
- And remember that memberships also make great presents. Explore that HERE.
Explore our Calendar of Events and Programs
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Welcome to the 2026 Season!
2026 Featured ProgramsJuly 17, 18, 19: 10th Annual Fairy and Hobbit House Festival
August 15-16: The Caterpillar Lab Sept 19: Botanical Artisan Fair 
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Join us with a Membership
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Join now, reap the benefits of membership all season long.
Joining now entitles you to benefits for the entire year. Members are valued as part of our family, contributing their talents, wisdom, and support to maintain and enrich our premier destination garden. Enjoy exclusive benefits and support our ongoing efforts. |
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New Book on the Garden
Jill Nooney has written a book on the garden called
"Bedrock: The Making of a Public Garden" .
"Bedrock: The Making of a Public Garden" .
Links
- WMUR's NH Chronicle also produced a truly wonderful piece on us on June 30, 2025. See it HERE. (There is an ad at the start that you can skip.)
- PBS's Windows to the Wild produced a great 14 minute segment on us on Sept 24, 2025. See it HERE.
- NH Chronicle produced another great segment on us, this time on the Fairy Hobbit House Festival. July 28,
2025. Watch it HERE.
- PBS's Windows to the Wild produced a great 14 minute segment on us on Sept 24, 2025. See it HERE.
- NH Chronicle produced another great segment on us, this time on the Fairy Hobbit House Festival. July 28,
2025. Watch it HERE.
AN OASIS OF HORTICULTURE, ART, AND INSPIRATION
Plan Your Garden VisitJoin one of our daily tours or discover the gardens on your own. No reservation required.
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Educational ProgramsWhether you're young, old, or somewhere in between, we offer classes for all gardening levels.
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Become A MemberAnd enjoy the gardens, exclusive perks and show your support for Bedrock Gardens.
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WHAT'S IN BLOOM
You can click on each image to see the Latin name, information on each plant, and where they are found in the garden.
We are also working on a longitudinal look at what is in bloom through out the year on our new page: Blooms.
We are also working on a longitudinal look at what is in bloom through out the year on our new page: Blooms.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
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Clematis Hybrid; Betty Corning
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Elderberry
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Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpit
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Black Cohosh, Bugbane
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Red Umbrella Meadowsweet
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Oakleaf Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea; Hydrangea quercifolia Mid-summer begins a wave of blooming in the hydrangeas at Bedrock Gardens, where a number of different species can be found. Among them is the beautiful oakleaf hydrangea, native to partly sunny moist woods, ravines, and streambanks in the Southeastern US from NC, west to TN, and south to FL. A deciduous multi-stemmed shrub that grows to 8-12’, its stems sprout from underground stolons and oakleaf hydrangea often forms considerable colonies. Its large coarse-textured leaves were thought to resemble those of the oak (Quercus) and inspired its species name of “quercifolia”. Oakleaf hydrangea’s conical-shaped white flower clusters generally bloom in early/mid-summer and are quite showy at 6-12” long. As they age, the flowers change attractively from immature light green, to white, through mauve, to dark pink, and ultimately to brown. As in may other Hydrangea species, its flower clusters are made up of two flower types – showy blooms with large petal-like structures designed to attract pollinators and inconspicuous fertile flowers without the enlarged petals. Foliage changes to shades of purple and red in the fall, creating additional seasonal interest. After leafdrop, mature stems reveal their exfoliating bark and add another season of garden interest. Oakleaf hydrangea is an adaptable native plant with multi-season features that have made it a favorite in the shady garden. |
Clematis Hybrid
Clematis Hybrid; “Betty Corning” The hybrid Clematis “Betty Corning” is a vigorous deciduous climbing vine that covers itself with an abundance of dangling bell-shaped 2” light lavender flowers from mid-summer to fall. Like most clematis, it prefers moist well drained soils in full sun to part shade (hence the gardener’s phrase that clematis like their head in the sun and their feet in the shade). The Betty Corning hybrid is grouped into the Viticella clematis group, which have a long blooming season beginning in mid-summer on the season’s new growth after having been pruned in late winter/early spring. Presumed to be a cross between Clematis crispa and C. viticella, it was discovered growing in Albany NY in 1932 by Elizabeth Corning, an accomplished and active gardener as well as the wife of a long-term major of Albany. Growing a profusion of roughly 6’ stems, its flowers are slightly fragrant. The Clematis genus is a large one with nearly 300 species and close to 100 cultivars have been produced, which attests to its great popularity in the garden. The “Betty Corning” hybrid is a tough, reliable, and beautiful variety that can be counted on as a focus in the summer garden for several months. At Bedrock Gardens, Clematis “Betty Corning” can be found in the Ping Garden, running along the Allée (#6) garden. |
Elderberry
Elderberry, American Elderberry, Canada Elderberry; Sambucus canadensis The elderberry is a deciduous shrub growing about 20’ tall that bears large flat clusters of white blooms in mid-summer. Native to North America east of the Rocky Mountains from Newfoundland to Florida and Texas, it prefers sun but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. Elderberry produces dark purple to black berries in the fall that have traditionally been made in jams, jellies, syrups, and wine, cooking techniques that crush or cook down the berries and separate out the inedible and toxic seeds. The flowers (elderflowers) are also edible and can be soaked in water to add flavor. Making use of the entire plant, an insecticide and a dye can be produced from the leaves and inner bark. Native Americans also used the inner bark to ease toothache pain. The genus name of Sambucus is taken from an ancient Greek wind instrument of that name made by the removal of pith from the twigs to make whistles. An interesting, adaptable, and attractive shrub with a long history of human use, elderberry adds a bright accent to the back of the summer garden. At Bedrock Gardens, American elderberry can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. |
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Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Himalayan Cobra Lily; Arisaema ciliatum A relative of our native Jack-in-the-pulpit, this Asian species has a single distinctive leaf composed of many narrow leaflets set at the top of a 2 - 3’ stem, somewhat like an umbrella with long spokes ending in elongated thin tails. A very different look than our native species with its two tripartite leaves. Originally found in forested areas and woodland edges at moderate elevation in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, this species prefers shade or part-shade and moist but well-drained organic-rich soils. An ability to store water in its tuberous roots helps Arisaema ciliatum endure times of mild drought. In early to mid-summer, somewhat later than most jack-in-the-pulpits, the plant produces a single rather elegant flower. Held below the leaf on 10-15” stems, the flower is made up of a hood or spathe that may be purple, chocolate, or green with white stripes, which serves to protect the small flowers held on a thickened stalk, the spadix. Like the leaflets above it, the spathe tapers to a long (8”) tail. Flowers are followed by bright red berries in the late summer/fall. Arisaema ciliatum can also increase by rhizomes or stolons and can form colonies over time. A striking, exotic-looking plant, this jack-in-the-pulpit is an amazing addition to a shade garden. At Bedrock Garden, Arisaema ciliatum can be found in the Tea House (#29) garden. |
Large Yellow Loosestrife
Black Cohosh, Bugbane, Baneberry; Actaea racemosa Black Cohosh is a native wildflower that grows from Ontario south to Georgia and west to Missouri and Arkansas in the moist soils of full to partly shaded woodlands. Its leaves are finely divided and resemble those of Astilbe, reaching roughly 3-4’ over a season. The plant produces tall (2’) stems topped with long wand-like flowerheads of small white blooms above the foliage in mid-summer. The flowers have a sweet, somewhat fetid scent designed to attract its pollinators – flies, gnats, bees, butterflies, and beetles. The dry seedheads can add interest to the garden after blooming has ended. The roots and rhizomes of black cohosh were used by native Americans for several ailments and root extracts are still used today in herbal medicines and dietary supplements, often for treating menopausal symptoms and other gynecological problems. Black cohosh adds a structural interest and summer bloom to shady areas of the garden after the spring flush of blooming has passed. A stately and architectural addition to the garden, black cohosh is a useful plant that adds drama to shade gardens. At Bedrock Gardens, black cohosh can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. |
Red Umbrellas Meadowsweet
Red Umbrellas Meadowsweet; Filipendula “Red Umbrellas” Native to temperate areas in the Northern Hemisphere, most meadowsweet species prefer full sun to part shade and moist to wet soils. The Red Umbrellas meadowsweet is a recent interspecies cross that exhibits large showy maple-leaf shaped foliage with prominent dark red veining, making it a feature in the garden even when the plant is not in bloom. But from mid-summer into the fall, red umbrellas produces fluffy sprays of soft pink flowers on roughly 1’ stems above its attractive foliage. Relatively compact at about 2.5’ high in comparison to many of the other tall species in the genus, a mature plant will fill about a 2 sq.’ area, making it an ideal size for many gardens. In addition to its merits in the garden, the blooms of red umbrellas also make excellent cut flowers. Between its colorful bold foliage and airy contrasting flower sprays, the red umbrellas hybrid meadowsweet is an outstanding plant for the moist partly shaded garden. At Bedrock Gardens, red umbrellas meadowsweet can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. |
Posted 7-06-2026
"...one of the most beautiful and intriguing
landscapes in New Hampshire."
- Boston Globe
landscapes in New Hampshire."
- Boston Globe