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.  

Donate Today

Notice:

We are now closed for the season. We will reopen on May 12, 2026.
You can still order Jill Nooney's book,

• It is a new book on the garden called "Bedrock: The Making of a Public Garden" .  See a short fun promo trailer HERE. Details and ordering information HERE.
• For a very short, very cute TikTok we just made, click HERE.

And remember that memberships also make great Christmas presents. Explore that HERE.

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New 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.

In 2025,

• We were open Tuesday thru Friday and the first and third weekends of the month. Details HERE.
• You can still see our new What's in Bloom either below or on our new Blooms page HERE.
• Here are some Quick Links to Visiting, Membership, and Donate pages

UPCOMING EVENTS

Garden Tours Daily at 10:15
Art Tours W, Th, Fr, & Sun at 1:00
To find out more about Accessibility Tours CLICK HERE

Featured Fall Programs

SEP 17. Tree Survival Skills Through the Seasons. A talk and tour of the garden's  trees with Dendrologist Eileen Willard.

OCT 4. Celebrating the Winter Garden with Author and Horticulturist Warren Leach  

Oct 10.  Understanding Bird Migration with the Mass Audubon Society

Click to see the Full Calendar of Programs and Events

AN OASIS OF HORTICULTURE, ART, AND INSPIRATION

​Plan Your Garden Visit

​Join one of our daily tours or discover the gardens on your own. No reservation required.

Begin Your journey

​Educational Programs

​Whether you're young, old, or somewhere in between, we offer classes for all gardening levels.

Get Inspired

​Become A ​Member

And enjoy the gardens, exclusive perks and show your support for Bedrock Gardens.

Explore the benefits

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.

White Snakeroot

Michael Dodge Linden Viburnum

Spilt Milk Bush Clover

Veronica, Lapis Tiger’s Tail

Frostweed

Shenandoah Switch Grass

White Snakeroot

White Snakeroot, Argertina altissima 
​One of the last native wildflowers to bloom, white snakeroot is a fairly inconspicuous plant growing in the shade through spring and summer, until suddenly in the fall, its white fluffy flowers seem to be all around. Native to eastern and central North America from Quebec, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories south to Florida and west to Texas, white snakeroot grows in forests, woodland edges, and brushy thickets. In the garden, it prefers partial shade and rich moist soils. White snakeroot grows as a 3-5’ clump and in late summer produces flower stems that branch near the top, usually in opposite pairs. Loose flat-topped flower heads 2-6” across blossom on the branch tops in September-October. Individual flowers are ¼” bright white disk flowers with no petals, so they appear rather fluffy; they have a slight fragrance. A colony of white snakeroot in full bloom with masses of pure white flowers is a striking sight in the forest. Plants bloom for about a month, until frost and are a valuable late season resource for bees, moths, butterflies, wasps, and flies. White snakeroot is a larval host for several species of moths and is host to a number of gall-forming insects. Seeds are small with fluffy ends and are dispersed by wind, but plants spread both by self-seeding and by fairly aggressive rhizome growth. White snakeroot contains a highly toxic mix of ketones, glycosides, and alcohols called tremetol, and was the source of the highly fatal disease called milk sickness, which killed large numbers of Midwest immigrants and settlers in the early 19th century. When the plants are consumed by cattle, both their milk and meat are contaminated by the toxin, which was then passed to humans. Cattle, horses, and sheep were also poisoned if large amounts were eaten. Unfamiliar with the plant, in areas of little pasture or in times of drought, new settlers to the Midwest let their livestock freely roam in the woods, where they would encounter and consume white snakeroot. In humans, symptoms of milk sickness included weakness, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, severe thirst, tremors, foul-smelling breath, delirium, coma, and finally death. There was no cure. The sickness claimed thousands of lives, including Nancy Hanks Lincoln, the mother of Abraham Lincoln, until Anna Peirce Hobbs Bixby, a frontier doctor, midwife, dentist, and scientist in southern Illinois, identified white snakeroot as the cause of the illness in 1834. She had noted that the illness was seasonal, beginning in summer and continuing until the first frost, suggesting that the cause might be a plant that was being eaten. Supposedly, while following some cattle to see what they were eating she encountered and befriended an elderly Shawnee woman who showed her the plant her people knew was toxic. After running tests feeding the plant to cattle to observe its effects, the identity of white snakeroot as the cause of milk sickness was clear. Although the plant was eradicated throughout the area, word of the discovery did not spread far to other communities. Part of this was perhaps due to the lack of physicians or medical journals on the frontier but it is likely that the fact that she was a woman frontier midwife and doctor meant that the information was just not taken seriously. Eventually in 1928 the toxic compound in white snakeroot was found and characterized. Although tremetol is not inactivated by pasteurization, milk sickness is clearly no longer a problem – cows do not freely roam and the large scale of most dairy operations means that any occasional contaminated milk is well diluted by mixing with much larger amounts of clean milk. Despite its deadly history, today white snakeroot can lend a bright and fresh appearance to the fall shade garden with its abundant white flowers as long as its toxicity is understood. It is striking with other fall blooming perennials such as goldenrod and asters and the plants are extensively used by wildlife. At Bedrock Gardens, white snakeroot can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Michael Dodge Linden Viburnum

Michael Dodge Linden Viburnum, Viburnum dilatatum “Michael Dodge” 
​Most linden viburnums or linden arrowwoods have vibrant red berries in the fall, but the Michael Dodge viburnum has gorgeous golden yellow berries that can be spotted from across the garden. They are quite beautiful and abundant. Linden viburnum is native to China, Japan, and Korea where it grows in open forests and forest margins. In the garden, it prefers sun to part shade and moist soil – conditions similar to its native habitats. The plant derives its common name from the resemblance of its rounded serrated leaves to those of the linden tree. The Michael Dodge viburnum was developed by its namesake, a long-term plantsman at White Flower Farm in CT, who was attempting to breed a linden viburnum with larger yellow fruit while he was working at Winterthur Gardens in Delaware. He clearly succeeded, as his cultivar has become highly desirable. The Michael Dodge viburnum grows roughly 8-10’ tall and 6-8’ wide and needs another linden viburnum in the vicinity to get good cross pollination and produce its profuse berries. Flowering in the late spring (May-early June), its small (1/4”) creamy white flowers are held in abundant rounded and showy clusters roughly 5” across. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators - bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. After flowering, the golden fruit (about 1/3”) develops in the early fall and Michael Dodge becomes a highlight in the autumn garden as well as in fall flower arrangements. Although linden viburnum seeds are spread by birds, those of Michael Dodge do not appear to be particularly desirable and they generally persist on the plant through much of the winter. The fruit contrasts beautifully with the fall foliage as it turns shades of russet, burgundy, and bronze – the essence of New England autumn coloration. By late winter, more birds (chickadees, cardinals, titmice, and various sparrows) consume the fruit as it further ripens and/or other food becomes more scarce. In traditional Chinese medicine the fruit, leaves, and stems of linden viburnum are used in the treatment of snake bite, dysentery, and for deworming. Young long straight stems were used to make arrow shafts (hence a common name of arrowwood), while older sturdier branches were made into tool handles. The Michael Dodge linden viburnum is an exceptional, easy care shrub with a long season of garden interest, from its creamy white flowers in the spring to its eye-catching abundant yellow berries that seem to drip from every branch through the fall and winter. At Bedrock Gardens, the Michael Dodge linden viburnum can be found in the Shrubaria (#28) garden.  

Spilt Milk Bush Clover

Spilt Milk Bush Clover, Lespedeza thunbergii “Spilt Milk” 
Spilt milk bush clover is a beautiful shrub that in September covers itself in a cascade of thousands of vivid pink to purplish flowers. The species is in the bean family and is a pea relative, as the pea similarity in the shape of its flowers and leaves suggests. It is native to the eastern Himalayas, China, Korea, and Japan where it grows in forest margins, roadsides, thickets, and on mountain slopes at elevations below 9,000’. There are about 60 species of lespedezas – roughly equally divided between Asia and eastern North America. About 6 of these, mostly Asian, are like bush clover - semi-woody shrubs formed by multi-stemmed clumps that freeze back to the ground each winter. The genus owes its name to a misspelling. Vicente Manuel de Céspedes, served as governor of the Spanish province of East Florida from 1784-1790 and gave permission for botanist André Michaux to search for new plants in east Florida. When Michaux’s work was published in 1803 he named one of the plants in honor of the governor but misspelled it, transforming “Céspedes” to “Lespedeza”. Spilt milk bush clover is a cultivar of Thunberg’s bush clover with distinctive strikingly variegated foliage that looks very much like it has been splashed with white milk. The foliage makes a gorgeous contrast to the bright magenta and purple flowers. Spilt milk bush clover prefers to grow in full sun and well-drained soil but is tolerant of relatively poor soil. Plants produce a multitude of annual gracefully arching woody stems that grow up to 6’ long in a single season and bear the trifoliate, white-flecked bluish-green leaves (1-2” long). In September it produces a profusion of 6-8” long slender purple/hot pink/lavender flower clusters that cover the plant. The individual flowers resemble those of peas and are about ¾” long. Occasional blooms may be produced in July or August. The flowers are an unexpected big burst of vivid color at a time when you might not expect it since most plants in the garden are fading. The bright pink/purple flower shades are lovely with other late bloomers such as asters, black-eyed susans, and mums. Even before blooming, the attractive marbled variegation of the plant contributes interest to a flower border and extends the seasonal appeal of the plant. Spilt milk bush clover spreads in several ways – plants reseed fairly easily and since any long arching stems that reach the ground continue to grow, it can sprout roots where growth nodes are in ground contact. The roots of bush clover, like other plants in the Bean family, have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria that can transform atmospheric nitrogen gas into a form of nitrogen that can be used by plants – a crucial partnership that enriches the soil. Although the woody stems die back to the ground in colder areas much as perennial plant stems do, bush clover is both cold hardy to -30 °F as well as heat tolerant, thriving in USDA zones 4-9. Spilt milk bush clover is a glamorous relatively unknown shrub that between its white-flecked delicate foliage and brilliant hot pink flowers brings exceptional appeal to the garden. Plants are easy to grow and rapidly produce their 3-6’ long stems in the spring, forming a graceful and large fountain of spectacular foliage. At Bedrock Gardens, spilt milk bush clover can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. ​

Veronica, Lapis Tiger’s Tail

Veronica, Lapis Tiger’s Tail, Pseudolysimachion kiusianum, Veronica ovata ssp. kiusiana 
​One of the very last perennials to come into bloom in the garden is the beautiful and rare lapis tiger’s tail. Endemic to the Korea peninsula where it grows in meadows and in forest edges, it raises its violet blue flower spikes as most of the plants in the garden are beginning to fade. Previously included within the large Veronica genus where it was considered to be a subspecies rather than a separate species in its own right, lapis tiger’s tail was recently renamed when more detailed genetic information determined it was different enough to be included with a group of 20 Asian and European species in their own genus of Pseudolysimachion. Lapis tiger’s tail grows as a branching multi-stemmed mound roughly 2-3’ tall and about 1.5-2’ wide and has serrated lance shaped leaves with red veins. In the garden it prefers partial shade and average, evenly moist soils. Lapis tiger’s tail looks generally like a number of other species of Veronica that are more familiar to gardeners as speedwell. Veronicas come in many sizes, colors, and shapes with some growing as low groundcovers that tend to bloom in the spring, while others, like lapis tiger’s tail, are much more vertical and bloom largely in the summer. Lapis tiger’s tail pushes this envelope by blooming in late September, when its tall blue flower spikes bring fresh color when little else is blooming. Because they bloom so late, the flowers can be a valuable late season resource for bees and other pollinators. Later in the fall, leaves eventually turn bronze hues. Lapis tiger’s tail brings its beautiful blue spires of flowers to the garden at a time when they are most appreciated and relished, making it a wonderful addition that extends the growing season. At Bedrock Gardens, lapis tiger’s tail can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Frostweed

Frostweed, Verbesina virginica 
Frostweed is a tall native perennial whose common name refers not to the icy white color of its flowers, but to an unusual process that the plant undergoes in late fall, at the first hard freeze. At this time, if conditions are right, the stems of frostweed split and as the sap oozes out, it freezes into dramatic icy sculptures of ribbons and curls. An amazing but very ephemeral sight to behold. Frostweed is native to Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic south to Florida and west to Texas where it grows in meadows, forest openings, and along streams. In the garden it prefers sun to part shade and moist soils but is tolerant of most soil conditions. Frostweed grows 4-7’ tall with ridged or winged stalks with coarse, slightly serrated 7” leaves. Native American populations dried and smoked the leaves as for tobacco, inspiring one of the plant’s other common names, Indian tobacco. They also used preparations of frostweed as a laxative and to treat urinary tract and eye aliments. In the late summer and fall, frostweed bears showy 3-6” flat flower clusters at the tops of the stems. Each individual flower is made up of 4-5 white ray florets and 8-15 white disk florets with highly contrasting dark anthers. The flowers are excellent nectar sources and are highly attractive to a variety of butterflies including Pipevines, Monarchs, and Great Purple Hairstreaks. Bloom peak is usually in about October so is timed well for Monarch migration. In November after blooming, the flowers turn pale green and then eventually a warm brown as seeds mature; small song birds such as goldfinches and warblers eat the seeds. Frostweed spreads both by seed and by shallow rhizomes and will form a colony, the usual way it is found in the wild. Once the cool weather sets in, the stage is set for frostweed’s most famous act. Conditions for its impressive display are quite specific – the ground must still be unfrozen so the plant can continue to actively draw up water; the dew point (the temperature at which water condenses) must be below freezing; and finally, the temperature drop to below freezing must be relatively rapid. When these conditions are met, sap in the stalks cools and expands and ruptures the epidermis of the plant. When it hits the freezing air and any tiny frost crystals on the stem’s surface, the sap solidifies to ice in thin sheets and ribbons. As sap continues to flow out through the stem, it continues to freeze, pushing the existing ice outward to form delicate ribbons or sheets that can curl and twist, forming elaborate flower-like designs known as frost flowers. These “flowers” are fragile and thin – melting at a touch or as soon as temperatures rise above freezing. A fleeting creation of beauty that quickly disappears. Frostweed is an attractive late blooming native plant with important wildlife benefits and showy flowers that brighten the fall garden. It saves its most  extraordinary show for the very end of the growing season, as the curtain goes down and the cold closes in. At Bedrock Gardens, frostweed can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. ​

Shenandoah Switch Grass

Shenandoah Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum “Shenandoah” 
​One of the dominant species of the tallgrass prairie, switch grass is a beautiful native whose changing colors brighten Bedrock Gardens’ own small prairie, the GrassAcre. Switch grass is native to much of North America where it grows from roughly 55oN in Canada south to Mexico. Hardy, adaptable, and deep-rooted, it can grow up to 9’ tall but is usually roughly 3-5’. As is obvious from its broad geographic distribution, switch grass can grow under many climatic conditions, lengths of growing seasons, and soil types. Because it utilizes a somewhat different form of photosynthesis that has more efficient water and nitrogen use, switch grass has a competitive advantage under conditions of drought and high temperature; a highly useful adaptation for a prairie native. It is thought now to be the most widely planted native grass in the US. The “Shenandoah” cultivar was developed by Dr. Hans Simon, a well-known German plant breeder and is particularly prized for its striking burgundy-red foliage. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, it needs full sun for its best color and to maintain its upright growth form. Although it is quite adaptable to various soils, it grows best in a well-drained soil. New growth in the spring is narrow and linear and emerges green with red tips. As the season progresses, the entire plant gradually turns a deep burgundy red; quite beautiful when backlit. Shenandoah’s flowers are tiny, delicate, and reddish pink, carried in open clusters on tall stalks above the foliage. They  appear to float above the plant as an airy cloud. Plants bloom in late summer, by which time the entire plant has taken on an  attractive intense wine reddish-purple coloration. Switch grass is a preferred larval host for a number of moth and butterfly species. It also provides good habitat and forage for songbirds as well as ground birds such as turkeys because of its tall cover and abundant small seeds. The flower plumes turn to beige as seeds mature but persist on the plants well into winter as plants enter dormancy. At Bedrock Gardens, Shenandoah is paired with two other distinctive grasses that form a large-scale “floral tapestry” in what was once an open pasture. The three grasses differ in texture and color and are centered on the large “Syncopeaks” sculpture which lends height and focus. Little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium “The Blues”) is a fine-leaved grass native to eastern North America. Its bluish leaves and stems change to a warm copper in the fall that persists through the winter; both colors contrast beautifully with the burgundy red of Shenandoah. The third GrassAcre grass is Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra), endemic to Japan. Growing in a cascade rather than in the upright forms of little bluestem and switch grass, Hakone grass has much broader bright green leaves and only grows about 1 ½’ high. The leaves take on a blush of red to pink in the fall and join the other grasses in their seasonal transformation. All three grasses move gracefully in the wind but not together, and the three provide lovely differences in movement, texture, and color across the landscape and across the seasons. At Bedrock Gardens, Shenandoah switch grass can be found in the GrassAcre (#26) garden. 

Posted 10-06-2025

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​Ralph E. Ogden Foundation

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​"...one of the most beautiful and intriguing
landscapes in New Hampshire."
- Boston Globe