Trustees and friends of the Berkshire Botanical Garden gathered on Saturday evening to preview the show of garden shed/follies that will amuse visitors there throughout this season. Five designers turned simple Amish sheds (generously donated by The Barn Raiser) into crowd-pleasing flights of fantasy, with nary a trowel in sight. Everyone who attended wanted one, only confirming trustee Matt Larkin's hunch that nobody ever outgrows their desire for a playhouse in a secret part of the garden. For a closer look at the sheds, see our Garden page.
Sarah Thorne, who, with her husband Peter Thorne, designed and executed the "Berkshire Artist's Retreat"; Pine Cone Hill's "Swedish Reading Retreat" team members Jess Fitzgerald and Keith Wilson with Emily Wilson
Skippy and Vaughn Nixon adroitly execute the Berkshire Botanical Trot—crossing West Stockbridge Road without spilling.
BBG board vice chair Madeline Hooper and BBG Executive Director Molly Boxer
Dick Bories and James Shearron, designers of the "18th-century Privy" with Crisse MacFadyen; Michael Devine beside his "Garden Blogger's Retreat"
Abigail Elwood, Aaron Dunn and Scott Sawyer; Donna and Patrick Annunziata
Guests listen as Matt Larkin (right), BBG trustee and curator of the exhibition, points out the authentic classical detailing on the "18th Century Privy"
Shed designer Chase Booth, whose woodland fantasy was inspired by the great camps of the Adirondacks, with Elaine Grant, and Steven Mateer; David and Anne Griffin
BBG trustee Honey Sharp and Steven Somkin; Joyce and Gerald Moore, whose garden was recently featured in Country Living magazine.
Matt Larkin, Madeline Hooper, and Mark Mendel
Mitch Nash, BBG trustee Maria Nation and Caitlin Nash; Marion Gilliam founder-and-publisher of Orion Magazine, which recently nabbed the 2010 Independent Press Award for General Excellence (think: top prize), and Matt Larkin
Barbara and Len McCue; Pauline Nash, Chase Booth, and Steven Chickery
Susan Dennison, Thomas Burak and Mary Frances Benko; Susan Silver and BBG trustee Judie Owens
Celisha Racicot and Michael Chapman; Maisie Deely and Daniel Dempsey
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
