CAZENOVIA — The Lorenzo State Historical Site will host its annual Friends of Lorenzo (FOL) Garden Gala on Thursday, June 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The public is invited to join FOL in celebrating 40 years of support for the restoration and maintenance of Lorenzo’s 1914 Ellen Biddle Shipman-designed formal garden.
Timed to showcase the garden’s peony blossoms, the event will feature hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, and other refreshments, as well as music by the Cazenovia High School Quartet, and several raffles.
“It’s a wonderful time to see the peonies in bloom surrounded by other spring flowers in the formal garden,” said FOL President Tracy Palmer.
The “Corks and Keg Raffle” will offer guests the chance to take home a special wine or some microbrew beers.
Floral arrangements will be raffled off so guests can take a small part of Lorenzo’s garden home with them.
FOL will also be raffling off a cocktail party and house tour at Lorenzo for 14 people.
“It’s a fun way to share some of Cazenovia’s history with friends and family,” said Palmer.
Attendees can also enter a raffle for the “Historic Wooden Bowl from Lorenzo,” which was handcrafted locally by Neal Parker of GingerWorks.
According to Palmer, the wood is from the black locust tree that was planted on the property to commemorate the Oct. 26, 1819, wedding of Jonathan D. Ledyard — brother-in-law of John Lincklaen — to Jane Strawbridge. Due to its age and condition, the tree was removed in November 2022.
“We are fortunate to have part of the tree for Neal to use to create this beautiful bowl,” Palmer said.
The proceeds from the 2023 Garden Gala will support the continued maintenance and restoration of the gardens and the Dark Aisle Arboretum, a double hedge of white pine, hemlock, and Norway spruce planted by Ledyard Lincklean. A significant feature of Lorenzo, the Dark Aisle provides a windbreak to the south and west for the formal garden and contains walking paths for visitor enjoyment.
Lorenzo’s grounds, including the formal garden and the Dark Aisle, are open year-round from dawn to dusk.
Garden Gala tickets are $35 for FOL members, $40 for a member’s guest, and $50 for a gala patron.
To purchase a ticket, visit friendsoflorenzo.org or send a check payable to Friends of Lorenzo, Garden Gala, P.O. Box 4, Cazenovia, NY 13035, and indicate the number of guests on the check.
Located at 17 Rippleton Road, Lorenzo is the 1807 Federal-style home of John Lincklaen, who was an agent of the Holland Land Company and Cazenovia’s founder. The Lincklaen/Ledyard family continually occupied Lorenzo until the property and its contents were conveyed to New York State in 1968. The site is operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and supported with help from the FOL.
Lorenzo’s formal garden
Lorenzo’s formal garden is recognized as one of Central New York’s premier country estate gardens.
John Lincklaen’s original garden was laid out according to Dutch tradition, with a grid of eight squares surrounded by paths. The beds were planted with vegetables in the center bordered by flowers.
Eventually, the vegetables were relocated to an area behind Church Cottage, the building that now houses the gift shop.
In 1856, after inheriting Lorenzo, Ledyard Lincklaen installed his own design featuring a central path with a sundial as the focal point.
Today, the garden retains much of Ledyard Lincklaen’s design. When the front and back doors of the mansion are open, the view extends straight from the garden to Cazenovia Lake.
In 1914, Helen Lincklaen Fairchild hired Shipman, a renowned landscape architect, to enhance Ledyard Lincklaen’s design with formal perennial beds.
In 1983, FOL hired Master Gardener Janine Golub, who used the original Shipman design as a guide for plant selection and placement.
