Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown is a stunning, Italian-inspired arboretum filled with beautiful roses and tulips, a lily pond with koi fish, walking trails and other natural features – and it’s all free to visit.
A highlight of the 54 acres of gardens is 52 varieties of roses from over 180 bushes, plus a beautiful parterre that looks like a labyrinth, filled with lots of roses, peonies and boxwoods.
Throughout the land there are various sections of tulips and daffodils, towering evergreens, a Japanese garden with bonsai trees, and a lily pond with koi fish you can explore year-round – and it’s all free!
Some of the other must-see spots include:
- The Rockery is a group of Sargent’s weeping hemlocks that forms an umbrella over three cascading pools.
- The Meadow Walk takes you through a woodland meadow with four groves of chestnut, oak, maple and ash trees.
- The open-roof, arbor-like pergola by the parterre is perfect for photos.
- The natural pond toward the back of the property has lots of frogs, fish and birds around.
- The Shade Garden has spruce and tulip poplars that form a canopy over fern, hosta, bloodroot and cardinal flowers that line the walkway.
- The Display Garden features vegetables, flowers and herbs – including All-America ornamental plants.
The history of Deep Cut Gardens goes back to 1935, when Vito Genovese found a property that would be a retreat for his family away from NYC. He wanted the land to look like Italy, with peanut stone walls, cascading pools, a pergola and parterre (an area of ornamental flower beds).
The most recent owners, Marjorie and Karl Wihtol, bought the land in 1952 and built a home on site, which is now the Horticultural Center. In 1977, Marjorie gave 20 acres of the property to the Monmouth County Park System, which purchased another 20 acres. Deep Cut opened to the public in 1978 – and then added another 14 acres in 1990.
Aside from stunning scenery, Deep Cut Gardens was designed to be comfortable for home gardeners. You can walk through the open greenhouse and see all sorts of succulents, cacti, orchids, international plants and houseplants.
You can ask about a guided tour, sign up for a gardening class, or stop a member of the horticultural staff to ask your questions. There’s an area of information on home composting, including a demo site. You can also spend time inside The Elvin MacDonald Horticultural Library, which has more than 4,000 books and periodicals on all sorts of topics related to gardening.
Here are some pro tips for when you visit:
- The parterre, any of the flower beds, the gazebos and the koi pond are the prettiest for photos.
- Stop by the Horticultural Center if you want to learn more about plants and gardening.
- Tour the greenhouse for more home planting ideas – but don’t touch any of the plants (especially the cacti and orchids).
- Pack a lunch for a quiet picnic; or keep with the Italian vibe and have lunch at Toscanella Village Café and Pizza, grab a burger at Burger Kraze; or hit up the popular Meemom’s brunch spot. Bell Works in Holmdel is 10 minutes away, with lots of food, entertainment and activity spots.
- Be advised of the tick warnings, especially in spring and summer.
Deep Cut Gardens is located at 152 Red Hill Rd. in Middletown. Admission and parking are free. The park opens at 8 am and closes at dusk daily, year-round. Pets, bicycles, scooters and skateboards are not permitted.
Deep Cut Gardens is located directly across from Tatum Park, which has 366 acres of rolling hills and open fields, including two activity centers, a playground and miles of scenic trails. Tatum Park allows leashed dogs and bicycles.
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