Page 10 - The Connection Warren-Watchung Edition September 2012

PAGE 10 THE WARREN-WATCHUNG CONNECTION SEPTEMBER 2012
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Where
Explore the Change of
Seasons at Duke Farms
By: Jill Stolz
For those who love to be in
nature and who crave open
spaces, Duke Farms is a dream
come true. I last wrote about
touring the gardens, greenhouses
and mansion of the late tobacco
heiress, Doris Duke, in the spring
of 2011. That glimpse of how
Duke lived her exotic life and grew
her beloved flowers is no longer
the attraction here. Instead, the
Hillsborough estate has been
given a $45-million overhaul and
has opened to the public with a
simple mission: to teach visitors to
respect and care for the environ-
ment. The spectacular grounds
contain 22 miles of paved, gravel
and woodchip paths for walkers,
runners, bicyclists, birders, picnick-
ers, snowshoers and cross-country
skiers. (fyi - winter is the best time
to find wildlife.) Additional plots
of land have been set aside for
community gardens, organic farm-
ing, and classes for aspiring gar-
deners. There are also 810 acres of
woodlands and 464 acres of
grassland, making Duke Farms a
haven for wildlife, including 30
endangered species and more
than 200 varieties of birds, includ-
ing the bald eagle and the great
blue heron.
To draw a familiar comparison,
the estate is three times the size of
Central Park. In fact, the first land-
scape architect hired by Doris’
father, Buck, was James Greenleaf
who worked in Frederick Law
Olmstead’s firm. I have explored
Duke Farms on foot and on bicycle
and recommend both. After park-
ing, stop in the orientation center
where guides can give you sug-
gested routes and you can pick up
a map. A farm-to-table café will
also be housed there in the near
future. As you cross the street and
enter the estate, you will pass the
“great falls” which run off of the
reservoir and feed the Mermaid
Pool where Doris swam. Plants
have been installed on small
islands in the pool as a natural
way to prevent algae buildup.
Heading further up Central Way is
the glass conservatory housing a
huge variety of orchids that will
awe gardeners and non-gardeners
alike. Past the orchid conservatory,
the trail leads to the sculpture gar-
den, located at the site of the old
hay barn, which burned down in
1918. The high, stone, walls still
remain and are covered with flow-
ering vines surrounding a group of
marble sculptures resembling
human figures. There are benches
located here and throughout the
estate where visitors sit in contem-
plation, read, write, draw or pic-
nic. (In keeping with its green mis-
sion, trash that is carried in must
also be carried out and deposited
in bins at the Orientation Center.)
The trails meander through
woods and meadows, and lakes
and streams, with marked native
plants and trees everywhere.
There are some rules, such as no
dogs allowed, in order to preserve
the native flora and fauna, as stip-
ulated in Miss Duke’s will. Bicycles
are permitted on paved roads and
gravel trails and allow a broader
view of the entire estate, while
walkers can also explore the
mown or woodchip paths off the
main trails. There is also a tram
leaving every half hour taking visi-
tors who cannot or do not want to
walk into the property. Duke
Farms is truly a gift to those of us
lucky enough to live so close and
we should all take full advantage
of all it has to offer.
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