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Lasdon
Park Lasdon Park and Arboretum is a magnificent 234-acre property consisting of woodlands, open grass meadows and formal gardens that offer a picturesque area to view various tree, shrub and flower specimens from all over the world. Lasdon is the site of the Chinese Friendship Pavilion that was a gift from the People's Republic of China to the citizens of Westchester. The park is also home to four inspirational memorials and a museum honoring Westchester veterans. Situated off Route 35, Lasdon is bounded on the south and east by New York City watershed property, the Amawalk River and the county's own Muscoot Farm, and on the west by the 20-acre Mildred D. Lasdon Bird and Nature Sanctuary. Originally called Cobbling Rock Farm, the Lasdon estate was purchased by William and Mildred Lasdon in 1939. Know for establishing a major pharmaceutical company and for their philanthropic endeavors, the Lasdon family used the estate as a country retreat and had a full-time staff to maintain its buildings and grounds. William Lasdon had a keen interest in horticulture and, through his world traveling, imported many tree specimens to his estate. In 1986, Westchester County purchased the property from the Lasdons for $4.2 million as part of the county's continuous effort to obtain and preserve open space. During that summer, the motion picture "The Secret of My Success" was filmed within the formal gardens, pool and main house. Much of the formal grounds remain as they were originally designed, and Westchester County has been developing and embellishing the collections on the property. Today, Lasdon Park is the horticultural hub of Westchester County. The Colonial Revival-style pavilion main house provides office for groups such as the Ninth District Federated Garden Clubs and the Westchester Tree Protective Association, and is home to the Lasdon Horticultural Library. The house also consists of meeting rooms for horticultural workshops and botanical art classes, a gallery for art exhibits, and serves as the headquarters for te Friends of Lasdon Park and Arboretum volunteer organization. The pool house has been converted into the Shop at Lasdon, an information center and plant shop that offers plants and gardening-related items for sale, and is staffed by members of the Friends of Lasdon. The Lasdon The Azalea
Garden Among the most beautiful plantings in the arboretum is the large azalea garden with hundreds of red, white, pink, magenta, yellow and lavender azaleas that create a hillside of color in the spring. Nestled among the azaleas is a series of small ponds and waterfalls creating a natural setting, with a trail leading to a small gazebo. Next to the azalea garden is a dwarf conifer collection containing a variety of pines, spruces, firs and cypress. The arboretum is also home to a variety of magnolia species, including several rare yellow specimens which were the first of their kind to be developed in the world at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the 1950's. The Famous The Famous and Historic Tree Trail features species that commemorate historic events and famous Americans from our country's past. At each station, one can read about a famous person or event to which the original parent tree was witness. The trees were grown from seeds of the original trees provided by the American Forestry Association. The William
& Mildred The William and Mildred Lasdon Memorial Garden site is a one-acre garden created in memory of the Lasdons and made possible through a donation by their daughter, Mrs. Nanette Laitman. The Lasdon Memorial Garden is composed of three distinct areas: an entrance court with a fragrance garden, a formal garden and a synoptic garden. The entrance walkways, lined with fragrant trees, shrubs and perennials, lead to a lilac walk to the north and to the formal garden to the west. The entrance to the formal garden is graced on either side by beautiful bronze busts of William and Mildred Lasdon, also a gift of their daughter. Inside the formal garden, there are symmetrical panels created with boxwood hedges, heather, changing displays of flowering annuals and bulbs, and a central fountain. An overlook located six feet above the garden floor with a shaded seating area provides and ideal spot to view the plantings. Surrounding the formal garden is the synoptic garden, which features a collection of hundreds of shrubs whose names represent every letter in the alphabet, from "A" (Albelia) through "Z" (Zenobia). In addition to providing year-round interest to the garden, the synoptic garden is an excellent reference tool for anyone with an interest in ornamental plantings. The Chinese
Friendship Pavilion This four-acre garden and pavilion symbolize the close bonds between Westchester County and its Sister City, Jingzhou, in the People's Republic of China. The Friendship Pavilion, a gift from that city, is the focal point of the garden. The classic Chinese structure was constructed in China, disassembled, and shipped to the United States, where it was installed by several craftsmen from China with the assistance of park staff. The pavilion surrounded by a developing culture garden with such native Chinese plantings as bamboo and Kousa dogwood, overlooking a picturesque pond with a stone dust pathway for meditation. Since 1992 when a three-acre grove of rare American chestnut trees was discovered at the arboretum, Westchester County has been working with the American Chestnut Foundation to help develop a disease-resistant form of this tree. An additional five acres is dedicated to planting chestnuts collected from around the country to maintain a source of these trees for used in genetic research. In conjunction with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the united States Forest Service, Lasdon is also the first site in the lower Hudson Valley for butternut tree research. The arboretum is also home to a variety of more that 80 dogwood trees from around the world, which are also part of an ongoing research project to combat diseases that threaten these trees. Horticultural
Programs The Lasdon horticulturist offers workshops and clinics ranging from landscape and garden design to soil testing and integrated pest management , and conducts tours of the various aspects of the arboretum. Botanical art classes are offered by a professional artist throughout the year. For more information, call (914) 864-7268 Monday through Friday; on weekends, call (914) 864-7267. The Westchester
Veterans Memorial Lasdon is home to four memorials and a museum that honor all Westchester County servicemen and women who have served their country in various branches of military service. They were funded through the efforts of the Vietnam Memorial Committee and the Vietnam Veterans of America, Westchester Chapter 49. The Merchant Marine Memorial honors all residents who have served their country in this branch of the military. The Trail of Honor comprises a series of 12 stone cairns that display the busts of combat soldiers from every major American conflict, dating from the American Revolution through Operation Desert Storm. Also located along the trail is the Korean Wear Memorial, a tribute to all Westchester residents who served in what was called "The Forgotten War," which lists the names of Westchester servicemen who lost their lives during this conflict. At the end of the Trail of Honor is the Westchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a sculpture that is comprised of three seven-foot bronze statures that depict a soldier carrying a wounded comrade, with a nurse reaching out to assist them. Nearby, a flagpole is set on a base with inscriptions of Westchester County servicemen and eight women nurses killed in Vietnam. A cobblestone walkway encircles this memorial, affording breathtaking views of the Muscoot River. The Westchester County Veterans Museum features exhibits of photographs, historical documents, artifacts and memorabilia pertaining to the lives of Westchester County residents who served in the United States armed forces in time of war. The museum is open 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays during the spring and fall. For more information, call the Westchester County Veterans Service Agency at (914) 995-2145 or the Vietnam Veterans of America, Westchester Chapter 49, at (914) 682-4949.
The Mildred D.
Lasdon Bird This 22-acre preserve was donated to the county in 1976 by William Lasdon and named for his wife. A self-guided trail affords views of many species of birds, and as many as 20 distinct types of warblers can be observed there during migration. The Friends of
Lasdon Park Comprised of civic-minded individuals from all over Westchester County, the Friends of Lasdon works to develop and cultivate public interest, participation and financial support for the Lasdon Arboretum. Volunteers help with work in the greenhouse and staff the plant shop, with the proceeds going to help support the Lasdon Arboretum and its programs. Membership is open to everyone. Highlights of Events During May, the Friends of Lasdon host a plant sale to raise funds for programs at the arboretum On Fridays during July, visitors are invited to bring a lunch and listen to a jazz ensemble perform from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on the terrace outside the Shop at Lasdon On Saturdays during July, The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra gives concerts on the wide lawn overlooking the Muscoot reservoir. Gates open at 5 p.m. for picnicking; the music begins at 6 p.m. For more information about Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial, or for a calendar of events.
PLEASE:
Take I-684 to exit 6, and head west on Route 35; the park entrance is three miles ahead on left. Or take the Taconic State Parkway
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