Serenity in the Japanese Garden

12th Century Bronze Buddha

One of our guests' favorite gardens is our Japanese Garden, which is notable for its age and that it was the first privately owned Japanese garden in North America. Mary Clark Thompson was a woman who lead the way in garden design to be sure.

And except for the waterlilies that appear in the garden's ponds during summer, this garden features no flowers. But that does not diminish its beauty. Much to the contrary, it enhances it as it allows the visitor to quietly take in the natural surroundings simply accented by stone lanterns, the Tea House, and of course, our 12th century bronze Japanese Buddha. If you talk to the guests about the garden, this larger than life-sized statue is the one piece of the garden that is almost always mentioned for the statue has an amazing and palpable serene presence.

The statue sits in the corner of the garden nearest to the Roman Bath -- always peaceful and always quiet. It is a peace that is infectious for most. But there is a story about this statue rumored to have taken place after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Supposedly two local men were going to destroy the statue with axes as some sort of punitive act for the bombing. And sure enough, there are two cuts in the chest of the statue that had to be created with a bladed instrument and some degree of force. But only two cuts.

Is the story real? I don't truly know but I've heard it from a couple of sources and it is at least part of the Sonnenberg lore some like to share. If it is true, why did the men stop at one stroke each? Did that peaceful gaze look down into their hearts and cool their thirst for vengeance? Perhaps.

Two cuts are visible on the statue's chest

Offerings often appear in the statue's hands

Learning More About the Thompsons

Archivist and Board Member, Barbara Stahl, recently did the presentation titled For the Love of Gardens: the Artistry of Mary Clark Thompson at the Naples Library. The was recorded and is included below. Enjoy!

All the Faces Looking Back at You

When you visit Sonnenberg Gardens and walk around the estate, something becomes abundantly clear: there are many sculpted faces looking back at you. So here is a bit of fun - how well do you know Sonnenberg? Can you place all these faces? These faces taken out of context makes this visual scavenger hunt deceptively difficult.

Face 1

Face 2

Face 3

Face 4

Face 5

Face 6

Face 7

Face 8

Face 9

Face 10

Face 11

Face 12

Face 13

Face 14

Face 15

Face 16

Keeping the Lights On

One of the greatest misperceptions about Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park is that it is directly funded by the State of New York. It is not the State but the activities of its non-profit organization that provide the funding for everything at Sonnenberg.

• Those operational costs amount to $2500/day and those funds are needed to run the park, turn the lights on, put paper in the copier, mow the lawns, clean the bathrooms, as well as preserving the historic structures we have. 

• The greenhouses alone cost $200/day to heat and our cold weather, heating season spans a 6-month period.

• During the busy garden season the tram service that helps our guests visit the site use $100 of gasoline/day. 

• Even the electricity, internet service, computer, and staff time used to create this message were costs covered by the non-profit's fund-raising.

So why doesn't the State pay? The non-profit "friends" organization at Sonnenberg is proud to have achieved the highest level affiliation with the State which means all park operational needs are managed by the non-profit. That also means fund-raising is a key activity at Sonnenberg and includes collecting park admission & membership dues, applying for grants, holding special fund-raising events, renting the site for weddings, and seeking donations.

Every dollar that comes in helps to keep the park open to the public and puts new glass in our greenhouse. It also keeps flowers growing and allows you to walk through the beautiful home of Frederick and Mary Thompson. Your support and donation today to our "Share Your Love" fund will help to share Sonnenberg's beauty and history for generations to come. Click the "donate" button to make your gift.

There's a Mushroom House?

Even though I have visited Sonnenberg Gardens since I was young, that was what I said when I first heard of it. And while it sounds like an eclectic architectural style from the 1960's, the Mushroom House was created during the Thompsons' era at Sonnenberg for the aptly named purpose of growing mushrooms.

While its condition does not allow for tours and visits, visitors can see the exterior signs of the Mushroom House during their visit.

The entrance to the Mushroom House is located at the Gardener's Cottage, which also is the location of the Sonnenberg Administrative offices. (Access to the Mushroom House is NOT allowed.)

Skylights for this underground area were made from glass and steel and set into the ground above. They look rather like decorative manhole covers and are located next to the cafe' (on the greenhouse side). Not all of the skylights have weathered the 100+ years well and some are missing some or all of the handmade glass disks.

Be sure to look for this little known piece of Sonnenberg on your next visit!

Fairy Rings and Other Fabulous Fungi

While blooms begin to wind down as summer turns into fall, another sight becomes increasingly more common throughout our arboretum and less manicured areas - that would be the colorful and unusual fungi making themselves visible throughout our park. Along with this photo essay of Sonnenberg fungi, we will give some interesting and usual facts about fungi. Enjoy!

Click any of the images to see a larger view.

1. The largest organism on Earth is a fungus. There is a fungus in eastern Oregon that would fill 4 square miles! Read more...

 While not as large as the monster fungus in Oregon, giant puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) are a common fall Sonnenberg sight.

 

2. Fairy rings are naturally occurring rings or arcs of mushrooms. There is a great wealth of folklore from the globe about fairy rings. Some say they are places where fairies danced. Others say they are dangerous places that are best avoided else dire consequences may befall any human unlucky enough to enter one. Read more...

Here is a picture of  a fairy ring at in the Pinetum at Sonnenberg. Even though I do not think that a wild fairy mob would whisk me away to the Land of Fairy should I foolishly cross the circle, I respectfully walked around it.

 

3. There are 10,000 species of fungi in North America. Read more...

While we certainly do not have 10,000 different species of fungi at Sonnenberg, fungi can be spotted amongst the green and wooded areas throughout the year. They vary in shape, size, and color from tiny toadstools to huge puffballs.

4. While it is hard to believe, the part of mushrooms that we see is but a small part of the fungus organism. The mushroom is only the fruiting body of the fungus - somewhat like an apple is to an apple tree. The main and growing part of the fungus - which is hidden in the ground or rotting log, is called the mycelium. Read more...

5. While they may grow somewhat plant-like, fungi are not plants. Nor are they animals. They are in their own grouping or Kingdom which includes a large number of diverse and often unusual species. Read more...

Did You Know? -- Mary Clark Thompson Medal

Did you Mary Clark Thompson, Sonnenberg's original owner, is the same Mary Clark Thompson for whom the National Academy of Science named their award of the same name?

She donated the funds for the award in 1919 and a gold medal used to be awarded annually but is now presented every three years, along with a $15,000 prize (courtesy of Mary Clark Thompson's endowment) to honor important services to geology and paleontology. Here is a link to an American Association for the Advancement of Science publication from 1919, which briefly mentions the award.

Mrs. Thompson was a great philanthropist and gave to innumerable causes in Canandaigua and beyond, many of which were related to the fields of healthcare and science.


Submitted by Cindy Hunt, Curator

Historical Facts: Greenhouses

The Industrial Revolution brought about advances in glass, metal, and heating technologies that allowed for improved greenhouse construction. Following the Civil War, these glass houses became common additions to estates like Sonnenberg. Year-round, they provided the beautiful flowers, ferns, and exotic plants that were popular in the Victorian era.

By the late 19th century, the Lord & Burnham Company was one of the premier greenhouse manufacturers in the United States. Mary Clark Thompson commissioned the company to construct her new greenhouse complex in 1903.

Submitted by Cindy Hunt, Curator