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Duke Farms
Route 206 in Hillsborough
(908) 243-3600
Somerset County is blessed with an
exciting
variety of parks—some wild and
kept by
man as conservatories of life in
the natural state;
others designed and created by people
as flamboyances of the originals.
Visitors
to Duke Gardens marvel at beautiful
exhibitions of plants, landscapes,
and architecture
as they would in a fine arts
museum. These are display, not botanical,
gardens,
and thousands of species from all
climates thrive under an acre of
glass houses.
Walk through a wonderful succession
of natural expression: romantic Italian,
American Colonial, French parterre, English, America desert, Chinese, Indo-
Persian, and tropical rain forest.
When you're done, you've walked around the
world in about 1/4 mile, thanks to
an expert arrangement
of botanical sights and aromas. The
gardens, located on Route 206, 1 3/4 miles
south of the Somerville traffic circle, are
open every day, October 1-May 31. A staff
of about 20 conducts tours for individuals
and small groups, but you must call to reserve your choice of day
and time.
All Along the Tow Path…
Delaware and Raritan Canal State
Park
(732) 873-3050
The Delaware and Raritan Canal State
Park
runs 66 miles from Bull's Island
to New Brunswick,
with 16.5 miles in Somerset
County. Recently Six Mile Run Reservoir
in Franklin
Township was added to the park.
Now three easy trails skirt farm
fields
and
wind through woods and old fields,
and
one
crosses a slow, shallow stream.
The trail begins at the park office
at 625
Canal Road. A
walk along the towpath in Spring
can
reveal treasured glimpses of wildflowers,
and
tiger lilies that grow luxuriantly
along
the roadsides. The towpath is a
long
shaded
dirt path along both sides of the
canal.
It's a
great place to enjoy birds and turtles,
flowers and trees. Access the towpath
on Rt. 514
in East Millstone, Blackwells Mills
(Park HQ), the Griggstown causeway,
Rt. 518 in Rocky Hill and Rt. 27 in Kingston.
Executive Days Inn
118 U.S. Highway 206 south
Hillsborough
(908) 685-9000
Leonard J. Buck Garden
11 Layton Road
Far Hills, NJ
(908) 234-2677
This garden features native and exotic
plants displayed
in a naturalistic garden setting.
A wooded,
rocky ravine is home to numerous wildflowers
interspersed among flowering trees
and shrubs. Whether you come for
a quiet
walk in a place of great natural
beauty or
to study the many unusual plants,
a visit to the
garden is always an enriching experience.
Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden
Colonial Park
East Millstone, NJ
(732) 873-2459
You will see roses in a wide variety
of types, sizes
and colors, including All-America
Rose Selections
at the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden.
Whether you are a novice gardener looking
for ideas, an experienced rose grower, or
just someone who appreciates the
beauty of flowers,
you will find a stroll through this
living encyclopedia
of roses to be very rewarding.
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