North American Hydrangea Test Garden Opens

July 12, 2021 (Sandwich, MA) – Heritage Museums & Gardens, the largest public garden in Southern New England, will celebrate one of Cape Cod’s most iconic plants this summer during the Cape-wide Hydrangea Festival, July 9-18. The highlight of this year’s festival at Heritage is the ribbon cutting and official opening of the expansion of The North American Hydrangea Test Garden at Heritage Museums & Gardens on July 14. Other Festival programs include self-guided walking tours of the gardens for adults and families, virtual hydrangea programming and a lecture and book signing.

“Heritage is so fortunate to work in collaboration with Dr. Michael Dirr and with hydrangea industry and growing partners to host this important research garden,” says Anne Scott-Putney, President & CEO, Heritage Museums & Gardens. “Its expansive design not only allows for data collection and research, but also provides a stunning landscape for visitors to tour and enjoy as they learn more about this iconic plant.”

The North American Hydrangea Test Garden, the most comprehensive in the United States, is made possible by the generous financial support of Dr. Michael and Bonnie Dirr, Bailey Nurseries, Star Roses & Plants, The Cape Cod Hydrangea Society, and The American Hydrangea Society, as well as grants from the Horizon Foundation and the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust. Generous donations of plants for this garden came from Bailey Nursery, Star Roses & Plants, Spring Meadow Nursery, Greenleaf Nursery, and Monrovia Nursery.  The North American Hydrangea Test Garden was the brainchild of Dr. Michael Dirr.  The Test Garden’s purpose is to trial new hydrangea cultivars and to introduce them to the public.

“The North American Hydrangea Test Garden at Heritage Museums & Gardens is the pre-eminent display and evaluation garden in the United States,” says Dr. Michael Dirr. “It showcases the newest introductions and serves as a genetic repository for the best of the heirloom cultivars.”

The Heritage Hydrangea Festival falls during peak hydrangea bloom time in the gardens.

Heritage Museums & Gardens Hydrangea Festival programs and events include:

A self-guided tour through the grounds to discover more about Heritages’ 8 species of hydrangeas and over 170 exceptional cultivars. Stroll through the newly expanded North American Hydrangea Test Garden and the Cape Cod Hydrangea Society’s superb Display Garden and learn all about these amazing plants and see exceptional examples of each of the 8 species, in both a display and garden setting. Learn to identify and care for your hydrangeas at our hands-on Garden Discovery Cart. Just for kids & families: fun activity guide highlighting these amazing plants. Take home one, or more, of these signature plants from the special plant sale. All activities are free with general admission.

Virtual hydrangea programming includes two hydrangea-focused webinars. The kick-off event, held on July 9^th, is the 6^th edition of Hydrangea University, put on in partnership with the Cape Cod Hydrangea Society. This year’s virtual event featured the following expert speakers:  Tim Wood, Product Development Manager at Proven Winners/Spring Meadow Nurseries; Nita-Jo Rountree, Garden Designer and Author; and Mal Condon, Curator of Hydrangeas at Heritage Museums & Gardens.

Join us for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for The North American Hydrangea Test Garden on Wednesday, July 14 at 12 pm. This event will be held at the North American Hydrangea Test Garden staircase and will celebrate the 2020 expansion of the Test Garden which is a garden laboratory for the preservation and testing of historic, current, and future cultivars.

On Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at 2 pm, Heritage Museums & Gardens is honored to welcome Dr. Michael A. Dirr, Ph.D. for an insightful lecture and book signing event. The lecture, titled, ‘Innovations in Hydrangea Breeding: The roles of science and serendipity,’ will discuss the best of the recent hydrangea plant introductions on the market. Dr. Dirr’s newest book, The Hydrangea Book: The Authoritative Guide, will be available for purchase and signing by the author at this event. This program is free with admission to Heritage Museums & Gardens. Attendance for this event is limited and pre-registration is recommended.

All on-campus Hydrangea Festival events are free with admission to Heritage. We recommend all visitors purchase their tickets online at heritagemuseums.org.

Also on view is this season’s special exhibit, Let’s Play! New England Toy Stories, celebrating the local roots of many of America’s most beloved toys and games through the fascinating — and sometimes surprising — stories about the people who brought them to life; Bugs, Birds & Bricks, showcasing 8 outdoor LEGO brick sculptures depicting a mix of insects and birds native to Cape Cod; From Carriage to Classic: How Automobiles Transformed America, we present the origin story of the American automobile through 26 cars from Heritage’s permanent collection; and our newly installed Wampanoag wetu which brings a full-scale reproduction of a traditional Wampanoag structure, accompanied by a Wampanoag-style vegetable garden, to the grounds.

Contact:

Judith Goetz

Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations

(508) 888-3300 x115  jgoetz@heritagemuseums.org

About Heritage Museums & Gardens

Heritage Museums & Gardens is set on 100 stunning acres of gardens, nature trails, and open spaces. It is the only place where you can browse through rare works of art, stroll through stunning gardens, and see iconic antique automobiles all in one day. Explore Hidden Hollow™, an interactive outdoor discovery area for kids of all ages. And find your own special spot on Cape Cod.