The first session of the 2012 Summer Archaeology Institute wrapped up on Friday, July 20 after several days of exciting excavation. This year’s focus is in the lowest terrace of the estate’s Formal Garden, at a site believed to be the location of the original summer house. The Institute’s STPs(shovel test pits) unearthed artifacts from the first day of digging, […]

Enjoy a stroll through hundreds of blooming kousa dogwood trees cultivated and planted by the late Polly Wakefield, and tour the gardens that she created.  This year Dogwood Days will feature a guided tour of the formal gardens each day at 11:00am, a guided tour of the Isaac Davenport mansion on Saturday, June 2 at 1:00pm, the opportunity to observe plein […]

Not only did we have a gorgeous day for our first annual Spring Shearing, but we also had a terrific crowd. Visitors of all ages enjoyed master blade Kevin Ford’s demonstration of traditional shearing of our three sheep and Jack the llama. It was hard to believe how small the sheep were underneath their ample fleeces! We learned that the […]

Several families made it out for our first Earth Art event. Everyone enjoyed a spectacularly beautiful day amidst the blooming crabapples, lilacs, royal azaleas, bleeding hearts and forget-me knots. Children collected an assortment of tender young leaves and flowers and turned them into beautiful collages, sun prints and nature prints. It was a great day and we hope to do […]

In conjunction with Milton’s 350th anniversary, the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust presents three lectures on the history of the land and occupants of what is today known as the Wakefield Estate, named after its most recent occupant, Mary (“Polly”) Wakefield. Based on scholarly research and on-site discovery, the lectures will highlight the origin and evolution of one of Milton’s […]

Last weekend’s Backyard Pruning Session with Jen Kettell (from the Arnold Arboretum) was a great success. Everyone thought Jen was a terrific teacher, which she certainly is. Participants got an opportunity to try out the tools, practice pruning cuts, and may participate in a upcoming pruning practice day to be schedule in early May.

Our latest Backyard Homesteading session was held this past Saturday and attracted an enthusiastic group. Participants left ready to order bare-root trees and create their own compact orchard. Based on the guidelines we’ve been given, if successful, their trees should each yield 100 apples within five years! 

With the recent string of warm days, suddenly signs of spring are everywhere at the estate!

An enthusiastic group gathered last Saturday for our annual Raising Backyard Chickens session. Participants were very engaged, with lots of great questions and interest in getting started this spring. Most likely many of the attendees will be watching for shipments of day-old chicks later this spring, and can expect their first fresh eggs to be laid by September!

Dates are set for our popular “Raising your own Backyard Chickens” and “Creating a Compact Backyard Orchard” sessions on February 11 and March 24, respectively. Both “do-it-yourself” programs have drawn enthusiastic audiences, so register early to guarantee your seat! For more information, click here to see our full calendar of upcoming programs.