HOW DID WE NOT KNOW ABOUT GREENWOOD GARDENS IN SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY? — Sharon Mark Cohen, MPA, UN Representative for IHAN

Leave it to social media to awaken us to the beauty nearby. While scrolling through Facebook, I was drawn by an ad to visit Greenwood Gardens. The signage was intriguing. A short eighteen-minute drive from our home in South Orange, New Jersey, and we were transported to a 28-acre tree-rich garden oasis.

Located at 274 Old Short Hills Road, the gardens were open from May 2nd through November 9, 2025, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Once entering the gates by 3:30, it is permitted to stay and explore the gardens until 5:00 P.M. The cost for a senior ticket is $10. For more information, call 973-258-4026.

While we moved to Essex County in 1981, the Greenwood Gardens opened to the public in 2013. The story on the internet shows:

“It’s a miracle when the past survives long enough to see the future. Many beautiful places and structures exist only in photographs and beg the question, why wasn’t it saved: the original Penn Station, the Gilded Age mansions of 5th Avenue, and many old country estates that are now housing developments.

“But that didn’t happen to Greenwood Gardens. It was saved by forethought and planning by the second family that owned it. Large estates are expensive to run and maintain. Houses fall into disrepair and gardens become overgrown. But the Blanchard family knew that they had a jewel and the only way to save it was to share it.

“Located in Short Hills, New Jersey, and tucked in between Old Short Hills Park and the South Mountain Reservation, Greenwood Gardens started out as the Pleasant Days estate of Joseph P. Day, a New York City real estate tycoon, as his retreat to escape the chaos of the city. He commissioned a massive garden with architect William Whetten Renwick that included terraces, fountains (many decorated with Arts and Crafts Rookwood tiles), formal gardens, and vistas of the Watchung Mountain range. And there was also a golf course.

“After Day’s death, the property was divided, and part of the golf course became Old Short Hills Park. The main house and the gardens that surrounded it were eventually bought by Peter Blanchard Jr and his wife, Adelaide Childs Frick in 1949. They began work on restoring the gardens and adding to them. Peter Blanchard Jr died in 2000 and his son Peter Blanchard III and his wife Sofia, took over preserving the gardens per the elder Balnchard’s wishes.

“For the next several years, the Blanchards worked with the Garden Conservancy to start the process to open the garden up to the public. Starting in 2003 and continuing to the present day, the garden has been a work in progress to preserve, protect, and be shared with the public.”

Additionally, while I was typing this blog post, I read a notice on Facebook about the richest towns in New Jersey; #1, Short Hills. I took a quick screenshot of the information from MoneyInc.com to post here.

We didn’t know about the local gardens for 12 years. We toured them for the first time in early November 2025, just before they closed for the season. Look for opening dates in May 2026, visit, and enjoy. You’ll thank me.

The literature shows this intriguing picture of chess pieces they describe as found around the grounds at Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey

While visiting the gardens, I naturally stopped in the small, uniquely stocked gift shop. There, I not only made purchases but also learned about the history of the property and, sadly, that Peter Blanchard III died in 2022. When I asked why I didn’t know about the gardens when I lived only a short distance away, the guide working in the store told me many people in Short Hills didn’t know about them. They didn’t have a big advertising budget and only started doing more advertising lately.

A self-guided walking tour is easy to follow with 11 markers for different areas of the grounds. As we drove past the entrance gate, seeing the forest of Sycamores, I gawked, “That is insanely beautiful.”

Bountiful Sycamore trees at Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey November 2025

We have one huge Sycamore tree in our yard, and at Greenwood, there was a bountiful collage of tall stalks lined in rows. My husband said, “Imagine seeing them with their leaves.” Certainly, I’ll love seeing all the foliage at Greenwood Gardens in all seasons.

If you visit Greenwood Gardens, allow some extra time to sit on one of the garden benches and take in the beauty. It’s so serene, and the grounds overlook the Watchung Mountain Range. The view in the fall, with the leaves changing colors, is spectacular. Now, enjoy a small sampling of other pictures I took with my iPhone in November.