Several eminent Hudson Valley philanthropists have pledged $675,000 over five years to Historic Hudson Valley to enhance public programming and access to Montgomery Place, an historic architectural landmark designed by Alexander Jackson Davis featuring an expansive landscape influenced by Andrew Jackson Downing.

We are thrilled about this, as the gifts enable us to open the property more broadly to visitors and will hopefully generate additional local involvement and support of the historic site, the only HHV property in Dutchess County. It has been operating with a reduced schedule in recent years.

Effective immediately, the grounds are open to everyone (except pets, apologies to our furry friends), FREE OF CHARGE, daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The main house on the estate (above, and dining room, below) will be open for tours Thursdays through Sundays from May 15 to October 31, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a $10 ticket price (free for HHV members and kids under 5). House tours take approximately 45 minutes and will be available on the hour, with the last tour beginning at 3. Group tours with advance reservations, student group visits, wedding receptions and other private events will continue to be available by appointment 7 days a week.

Michael Hegarty, Chairman of HHV's board of trustees, said the commitments totaling $675,000, so far, will support programming for a period of five years (2010 through 2014) and are the foundation for launching a campaign to raise volunteerism and visitation, as well as additional financial support.

"These financial commitments come after a very difficult year when the museum community faced exceptional financial challenges to steward and operate historic properties in the shadow of a remarkable national recession," said Mr. Hegarty. "While we can not yet thank our generous donors by name, as the process of formalizing their commitments is ongoing, we're very pleased to share the news of the expanded program offerings that their gifts will make possible this year."

Mr. Hegarty continued, "We are very grateful for the outpouring of interest and support, and to the leadership of NY State Assemblyman Marcus J. Molinaro, Town of Red Hook Supervisor Sue Crane, and Sally Mazzarella, constituent services representative for State Senator Stephen Saland."

Waddell W. Stillman, president of HHV, said, "The work of maintaining and operating Montgomery Place to the standard which we apply to all our properties, and launching a full roster of programming at the property, seemed daunting. We are delighted that now, instead of having to continue to operate on a reduced schedule this year as we feared, these financial commitments will permit us to embark on an exciting program to increase programming at Montgomery Place and provide a more meaningful experience for visitors."

"HHV is in continued discussions with additional funding sources, and we are now launching a campaign to encourage small donations, as well as invaluable donations of time from new volunteers," he added.

HHV maintains 17 major structures at Montgomery Place, as well as 380 acres of landscape, orchards, trails and gardens (above), with an annual budget of a half-million dollars.  It is HHV's largest site by acreage and number of buildings, and the only one with its own buildings and grounds staff, but its distance from a large population center and the other historic properties in the HHV network has adversely affected attendance in the past.

Over its 23 years of ownership, HHV has invested more than $24 million in the property, most from its unrestricted endowment, on significant necessary improvements.  Most recently, it completed two major grant-funded projects, the exterior restoration of the Swiss Factory Lodge and installation of water, sewer and electrical infrastructure. The top preservation priority for 2010 is continuing restoration of building exteriors in Annandale, including the AJ Davis-designed farmhouse.

This year, HHV will pilot a new educational plan to enrich the experience for visitors by exploring the changing relationship between Americans, landscape and nature over time. It will also install a dozen new interpretive panels in the Montgomery Place landscape and, early in 2011, launch a new online program exploring topics arising from aspects of the site. You can see the site's incredible garden elipse here. 

A Call for Volunteers
Your hands are needed! Using these leadership gifts as inspiration, Montgomery Place site director Raymond J. Armater is issuing a call for local volunteers to be trained as site guides and docents, as well as volunteer gardeners on which the beauty of the landscape has long depended.

This weekend, Sept 12-13, marks the first annual Hudson River/Champlain Valley Heritage Weekend held on every stretch of the valley from Staten Island all the way up to Fort Montgomery in Rouses Point, NY. That's 345 miles of history, wonder, and awe.

More than 100 museums, historic sites, battlefields, and parks, many open this weekend only, will welcome visitors free or at reduced rates with special events, exhibitions, tours, hikes, performances, reenactments, and even paddles on the river. 

One of the many Heritage Weekend participating sites is Historic Hudson Valley's own Montgomery Place located in Annandale-on-Hudson in Dutchess County. Montgomery Place is a picture-perfect example of a Hudson Valley estate. Its 434 acres hold gardens, an arboretum, woodlands, and orchards. The grounds and the house will be open for free admission from 10-5 on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are not required.

For a full list of sites participating in Heritage Weekend, click here.

The falling leaves, cold temperatures, and dormant plants that mark autumn invoke a degree of sadness in gardeners, hard-core and casual alike. What to do as the days grow short and the flower beds grow tired? How about getting some pointers to apply once next year's season begins anew?

On Saturday, Dec. 6, Sarah Price, landscape director at Montgomery Place, will be teaching a continuing education class at Bard College, right next door to MP, called "Getting Started with Perennials." Part of a series hosted by the New York Botanical Garden, the class is $42 for their members and $47 for the general public.

Here's Sarah's course description:

"Perennials return year after year to provide color and texture in our gardens. Be inspired by beautiful plant combinations and discover the most dependable perennials for lower maintenance and long-term beauty. Learn the basics of perennial gardens, including soil preparation and planting techniques, plant selection, design, and maintenance."

Sarah definitely knows what she's talking about and loves to share her knowledge. Her Montgomery Place peonies are shown here.

Check out this link for more info and to sign up for the class.

For those of you who subscribe to Sirius Satellite Radio (and if you don't you should, really), check out the Martha Stewart Living channel 112 today at 1 p.m.

Sarah Price, landscape director extraordinaire at Montgomery Place, will be a guest on "Homegrown Gardening," a live call-in show hosted by Martha gardening gurus Tony Bielaczyc and Andrew Beckman.

As those of you who have visited MP lately know, Sarah is doing a stellar job restoring its elaborate gardens using planting plans original to the estate.

Not a Sirius subscriber? (Really, you should be.) Well, you can go to Sirius.com and listen on a trial basis.

Good luck, Sarah!

Been looking for an excuse to visit Montgomery Place? Need something "special" to motivate you to make the trip to Annandale? Well, now you've got one.  Montgomery Place is one of the sites featured in the ninth annual Hudson River Valley Ramble planned for weekends in September. MP gets to show off its garden stuff on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 11 a.m.

Walk with Landscape Director Sarah Price through the glorious gardens that grace this former country seat of the Livingston Family. Sarah and her team have been meticulously restoring the estate using planting plans original to the property. You can see the fruits of their labor - circa early 20th century gardens that range from lush perennial, annual and herb beds to the naturalistic "Rough Garden" and the "Ellipse" with a reflecting water lily pool (shown above).

Ramble organizers say that by visiting MP you will gain a view into the colors, fragrances, and designs popular during America's estate garden era. I heartily agree!

The walk is pretty easy, and the tour will cover roughly a half mile. If you can't make it on Sept. 13, you are welcome to visit MP any other Saturday or Sunday through October. Options include a self-guided audio tour of the estate.

The Ramble is sponsored annually by the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, Hudson River Valley Greenway, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Estuary Program.

MP's Ramble tour is one of 202 events taking place from Saratoga County all the way to NYC. (For a complete listing of events, click here.

More than 100,000 people participated in the 2007 Ramble -- though presumably not all at the same time and place. Cause that would have been a lot of people rambling on, and you would have noticed that.