On Friday, July 11, 2025, the Southampton Garden Club was treated to two wonderful home garden tours. First we visited the home of Louise Gundersund followed by a tour of the gardens of Ananmaria Holmes.

Our first stop on Friday was to the property of Louise Gunderson. Here we were treated to a gazebo surrounded by lace hydrangeas with set up against her privet. The border gardens were bookended by beautiful sculpted boxwoods and included verbena, salvia, dahlias, petunias and roses. The garden behind the porch included hydrangea and echinacea.

Down the way we were treated to her dahlia garden, which featured beautiful orange Dahlia pinnata as well as Dahlia preference.

Next we visited the gardens of Annamaria Holmes on Northsea Mecox Road. Annamaria’s property boasts three gardens and she provided a description of her property for all of the club members.

“This property has three gardens defined as the lily pond garden to the right, the formal garden in the center and the pool garden to the left. In the back of the property there is an open area that hosts the tennis court and the bocce court. Hostas and hydrangeas dominate the gardens. Honeysuckle vines in the veranda to the tennis court and Forsithya bushes on the left side of the tennis court which are the first sign of Spring.

The pond is on your right as you enter the property. It features live koi fish, frogs and water lilies. It is bordered along the front by hydrangeas and the sides by lilies with hostas in the shady areas. In the spring, the pond is surrounded with hundreds of daffodils. In the back of the pond is a gazebo with climbing Uetersen roses, giving a beautiful and romantic look to the pond. Rhodoendron and burning bush can be seen to the right of the pond. To the left along the foundation of the house is a large bed of tall bearded iris.

Walking toward the left you enter the formal garden which has two beautiful white camellias, spirea, hydrangea, rhododendron and viburnum. Among the perennials are thalictrum, gooseneck, Siberian iris and asilbe. In the center there is a bed of pink roses bordered by ilex. There are very old specimen trees in the back.

As you enter the pool area you will see a privacy wall of Arborvitae that separates the front lawn from the pool. There is a beautiful display of hydrangeas next to the Spa. Many hostas border the side of the pool with evergreens all around.

The front lawn has a display of specimen trees starting with a beautiful old Mulberry tree. There are pines, cypresses, elms, larch, maples, cherries, magnolia, dogwood, a beautiful Philadelphia ‘Snow White Sensation’ (Sweet Mock Orange) and a very large and beautiful weeping cherry tree which is covered in pink blossoms in the Spring.”

Thank you Louise and Annamaria for inviting us to your lovely properties!