News from the Garden at Steepletop

By Anina Rossen and Michael Minchak

The Millay Society has made significant headway in the ongoing restoration of the gardens and grounds at Steepletop, the Austerlitz, New York, home of Pulitzer-prize poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. In the twenty-five years Millay lived at Steepletop, she created thirteen garden “rooms,” each with its own personality. It is our mission to bring these rooms back to life.

In May, 2014, Michael Minchak joined the staff at Steepletop as head gardener. Michael brings expertise from running a garden maintenance business as well as from teaching elementary school for more than thirty years. This unique background allows him to lead the restoration of the garden rooms as well as contribute to our educational foundation through garden seminars, demonstrations, special tours, and volunteer programs.
 
Last year, with the help of Steepletop's caretaker, Todd Hall, numerous projects were completed that helped the property resemble more closely the Steepletop in Millay’s time. The original garden fence made from cedar posts and chicken wire, which protected Millay’s Kitchen Garden from uninvited critters, was re-created in accordance with historical photographs. Eugen's (Millay’s husband) asparagus bed was replanted in the Kitchen Garden, along with a variety of herbs, vegetables, and annuals. Herbs harvested from the garden were sold in the gift shop and the flowers were used to decorate the main house and visitors center during the season. Several white pine groves that had been planted by Millay were cleared of invasive plants. Doing so revealed Eugen's mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), planted by Millay herself.

For the 2015 season, plans are in motion to restore the first tier of the rose garden. Rose varieties that were available during the time that Millay lived at Steepletop will be replanted following her original planting scheme. The Kitchen Garden plantings will be expanded with a companion planting strategy similar to one followed by Millay. The Society is also making available limited edition seed packets. Lupine seeds harvested from the lupine bed at Steepletop will be available to purchase in the gift shop during the season, while supplies last.

To support all of these efforts, the Millay Society has also launched “Get In Bed With Millay,” a garden maintenance fundraising effort. Those wishing to support the restoration of the gardens can purchase King, Queen, or Twin-size garden stakes, to be placed in the historic Kitchen Garden for the season. The stake, which can be personalized with the donor’s name or the name of someone they wish to honor, will not only recognize the donor during the season, but will also be sent home as a keepsake when Steepletop closes for the winter. For more information or to contribute to this effort, please visit millay.org/specialprojects.php.

Come see all of the changes at Steepletop for yourself. Gardens and grounds tours are available throughout the season, along with special tours such as Hiking Steepletop. Visit millay.org for details.

Anina Rossen is a vice president and trustee of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society, which manages Steepletop and has been busy reclaiming the gardens as well as the house. Steepletop became a Garden Conservancy preservation garden in 2003. Photos courtesy of the Millay Society.