Gardens of the Gilded Age

Jana Milbocker is a garden designer, lecturer, tour operator, and author of four garden travel guides which profile 310 gardens on the East Coast. Her books are self-published and have sold more than 22,400 copies combined since 2018. Milbocker lives in the Boston area, and worked as a graphic designer and marketing specialist for 30 years before launching her garden design business in 2010.

Introduction



Global Influences

Landscape Architecture is Born in America

Elements of a Gilded Age Garden

Grand Entertaining

Saving Our Gilded Age Estates



The Gardens



Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vermont



Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, Manchester, Vermont



Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Ipswich, Massachusetts



Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts



The Mount, Lenox, Massachusetts



Blithewold Manor, Gardens, Arboretum, Bristol, Rhode Island



Rough Point Museum, Newport, Rhode Island



Rosecliff, Newport, Rhode Island



The Elms, Newport, Rhode Island



The Blue Garden, Newport, Rhode Island



Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, New York



Vanderbilt Estate, Hyde Park, New York



Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, New York



Wave Hill, Bronx, New York



Kykuit, Sleepy Hollow, New York



Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, New York



Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, New York



Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, Sands Point, New York



Greenwood Gardens, Short Hills, New Jersey



Grey Towers National Historic Site, Milford, Pennsylvania



Morris Arboretum and Gardens of the University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania



Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania



Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar,Wilmington, Delaware



Nemours Estate, Wilmington, Delaware



Maymont, Richmond, Virginia



Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina



Swan House, Atlanta, Georgia



Hills & Dales Estate, Lagrange, Georgia



The Ringling, Sarasota, Florida



Vizcaya, Miami, Florida



Visiting the Gardens



Further Reading



Additional Photo Credits

 

A beautifully researched tribute to America’s turn-of-the-century landscapes. Jana Milbocker brings these magnificent, maximalist gardens—and their layered histories—to life. I revisited favorites like Wave Hill and Longwood with fresh eyes and added several new destinations to my travel wish list. -Teresa Woodard, author of Garden to the Max: Joyful, Visionary Maximalist Design

Jana Milbocker has done an outstanding job ferreting out a hit parade of the truly greatest gardens in America. She doesn’t miss a beat, and has laid out a sumptuous spread for our enjoyment. -Stephen F. Byrns, President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy

Gardens of the Gilded Age thoughtfully highlights The Ringling as a defining expression of John and Mable Ringling’s vision, where art, architecture, and landscape helped shape Sarasota into a cultural destination. Today, as steward of The Ringling, Florida State University honors that legacy by preserving this extraordinary estate and advancing its role as a center for education, scholarship, and public engagement. -Steven High, Executive Director of The Ringling Museum of Art

Jana Milbockers Gardens of the Gilded Age is a stunning invitation to the gardens, homes, and landscapes from an era when American power, wealth, and aesthetic refinement seemed to know no limit. With her vivid photographs and lucid text, Jana takes us on a journey of discovery from the shores of Lake Champlain to the beaches of Miami. This book will be a significant addition to any library on American architecture or garden design, and it will be a treasured companion for anyone who wants to follow in Jana Milbockers footsteps and visit the gardens themselves. -Sarah Vance, Director of The Blue Garden (Newport, RI)

Gardens of the Gilded Age offers readers a wonderful view into the unifying elements of America’s greatest gardens. Jana Milbocker sets the stage with her overview of the historical influences of garden design from the Country Place Era. What follows is a visual tour of thirty of the most impressive gardens in the country, documented by lush contemporary photography that showcases the enduring beauty of the horticultural collections and architecture of these sites. Milbocker’s book is an excellent primer into the people and places of a defining moment in the built heritage of our nation. -Gina J. Wouters, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Planting Fields Foundation

As a non-profit leader committed to preserving a historic landscape, I found Gardens of the Gilded Age to be a beautifully curated exploration of the East Coast’s most remarkable garden estates. Through contemporary and historical photography, the book illuminates the vision of the owners and the talented landscape designers who shaped these extraordinary properties. As soon as you start to explore Janas book, you want to jump in a car and visit all of these wonderful homes and gardens.  Gardens of the Gilded Age is a  meaningful contribution to our understanding of this important era in American horticultural history. -Karen Binder, Executive Director, Blithewold Manor, Gardens, Arboretum

Jana Milbockers Gardens of the Gilded Age takes readers behind the gates, hedges, and walls of Americas most wealthy and prominent citizens during the golden era of lavish estate gardens. Filled with beautiful images, the garden profiles detail the plants and architectural features of each landscape. My favorite section of the book was about the head gardeners and their staff—the folks who actually planted and maintained and installed these magnificent gardens. This peek behind-the-scenes is both inspirational and educational. -Kathy Jentz, garden book author and host of the GardenDC Podcast

Gardens of the Gilded Age is a stunning journey through the golden age of American landscape design. From European-inspired courtyards to sweeping coastal estates, each page captures the visionary owners and designers that shaped these enduring landscapes. This is an inspiring and essential read for anyone who believes great landscapes can influence both public life and the national imagination. -Paul B. Redman, President and CEO, Longwood Gardens

In Gardens of the Gilded Age, Jana Milbocker takes readers on a gentle stroll through some of America’s most remarkably designed and cultivated spaces. This book is a work of the heart for Milbocker, and a must-read for anyone who loves the aesthetics, variety, and restorative nature of gardens. Enjoy the journey and be ready to add some new destinations to your travel itinerary! -Jean Hershner, Executive Director, Nemours Estate

In Gardens of the Gilded Age, Jana Milbocker presents a much needed, comprehensive overview of Country Place gardens of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Not only will you come away with a thorough understanding of Gilded Age gardens’ provenance, but the articulate prose and beautiful photography will have you adding each and every garden to your bucket list! -Jim Donahue, Curator of Historic Landscapes & Horticulture, The Preservation Society of Newport County

Jana Milbocker does an extraordinary job of concisely, yet thoroughly, summarizing the history and aesthetic of the Gilded Age and the extraordinary gardens and estates it produced, in her new book, Gardens of the Gilded Age. Page after page of stunning properties assembled during the late 1800s through1920 dot this survey of an incredible time gone by, a must-have for any lover of horticultural and architectural opulence. -Abby O’Neill, Executive Director, Greenwood Gardens

Jana Milbocker’s Gardens of the Gilded Age confirms that the gardens from this era are as impressive as its mansions. Her book gives the fascinating backstories to 30 extraordinary gardens accompanied by stunning photographs. A wonderful book for any gardener or garden-lover. -Susan Wissler, Executive Director, The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home