Trees to the West of the Lawn

The Winthrop Estate is home to some remarkable tree specimens.  To honor these sylvan elders we recently compiled a list of common and Latin names of twelve of our favorite, grandest trees and had arboretum quality labels engraved and hung upon their trunks for our guests to peruse.

As you walk around our grounds, you will see Fagus sylvatica, Copper Beech; Ginko biloba, both male and female; Picea pungens, Colorado Blue Spruce; Robinia pseudoacacia, Black locust; Salix alba, White willow, and Aesculus hippocastanum among others.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is another wonderful venue for those who enjoy horticultural. berkshirebotanical.org is open May through October and is a the non-profit, educational garden that boasts 15 acres of brilliantly designed and planted ornamental gardens.  A vegetable garden, and an herb garden are further sources of inspiration there.  Hosting classes, lectures and workshops as well as tours of the garden, the Berkshire Botanical Garden is a true Berkshire gem.

Even though it’s the dead of winter and we aren’t outside playing on our lawn right now, we are thinking ahead to this summer.  Days are long, skies are clear and all we want to do is be outside.  That’s why we decided to add  a bocce set to our lawn game collection.

Bocce is very popular in Europe and was brought to America by Italians.  Descended from a game played in the Roman Empire, bocce involves rolling balls on a clay, asphalt or smooth lawn.  Anywhere between two to eight players compete in teams.  The United States Bocce Federation has a great website with information, playing tips, and tournament schedules.  They are aiming to get bocce into the Olympic Games!

Even if you are not as serious as those bocce enthusiasts, you will find our bocce set to be the very best available on the market. The Perfetta Club Pro Bocce Set I just ordered should last for years to come and be a focal point for many happy memories.  Our lawn is great, the views spectacular and we have no doubt that bocce is going to become a favorite pastime here at Winthrop Estate!

Service

Recently, we hosted a family get together here at Winthrop Estate.  It was a chance for the family to relax and spend some quality time in a cozy atmosphere.  Here’s what they had to say about their visit…

Dear Jamie,

I just wanted to commend you and your staff on the most amazing weekend at the Winthrop Estate!  The accommodations were above and beyond what I expected.  The staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the weekend.  It was a huge success and I look forward to visiting again in the future.

Sincerely,

Tom T

We have taken care to make sure that the Winrhop Estate remains as clean, fresh, and allergen free as possible, at all times.  We know that one person’s beloved pet carries another person’s allergen.  Out of consideration for future guests who have allergies,  though we allow pets on the estate’s 45 acres, we do not allow pets in the mansion.  Additionally, we have filled the mansion with oriental rugs, custom drapery and genuine antiques.  One family’s heirloom furniture could very well serve as another cat’s scratching post.

In the interest of all, we can provide two reasonable, though imperfect solutions.  For people who wish to stay at the estate but not leave their pet at home, we hope you will consider the following:

For a nominal fee, your pet can stay at the nearby  Animal Inn of the Berkshires.  The Animal Inn is well regarded, and they will not only board your pet but they will provide grooming and even portrait services.  They will create a ‘vacation experience’ for your pet.   We can help make the arrangements and can have the pet visit the estate to go for walks or even a hike on our extensive trails.  While we do take pains to keep pets out of the mansion, we are happy to have them on the estate.

Japanese Maple on the lawn

All the “leaf peepers” want to know….when is peak foliage season here in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts?  Hmm… that’s a good question.  We have debates about this very topic ourselves as we sip our morning coffee and enjoy the view of Yokun Ridge from the conservatory.  Our historic mansion is surrounded by the glorious New England deciduous forests.  Jamie insists that peak was last week; the ash trees, Fraxinus americana, were lit like tall beeswax candles, and the ground beneath became paved in gold.  I’m pretty sure yesterday or today could be peak because our neighbor’s red maple, Acer rubrum, is starting to ignite into a burnished red-orange that makes my heart beat faster.  But then again, friends in Lenox say peak season is next week– they are still waiting for the sugar maples, Acer saccharum, to pop!

The Berkshire Scenic Railway offers a great way to see for yourself which species of trees are in peak display.  The 90-minute, 20 mile roundtrip adventure takes you from Lenox to Stockbridge and back in a restored 1920’s era train.  The ride through our beautiful Berkshires is sure to inspire the debate….just when is peak season?

And we can’t wait for your return visit!  Thanks so much to this family for being such lovely guests!

A second guest wrote on the same page:

The beauty, grace and elegance of the Winthrop Estate has been imprinted on the minds of my family forever; A wonderful special memory, and a place we will look forward to returning soon! Thanks -M.S.

This photo montage on the Winthrop Estate shows, in about 30 seconds, a glimpse of the property, as it has been restored to its original use as a Gilded Age mansion for hosting and entertaining guests over that last seven years by the owners.