Amenia Town Hall Garden

The old elementary school in Amenia NY (Dutchess County) had been abandoned for a new “academic campus”. Built in the 1920’s, this commodious red-brick building was transferred to local government for use as a Town Hall. In 2014, working with garden designer Marsha Kaufman, Leo Blackman and Ken Monteiro had native plantings installed on the two most visible sides of the structure.

This new garden was a gift from their wedding guests to the Town. It includes new mahogany benches at the building entry and below a limestone plaque at the opposite end. In continuing with a local tradition, crab-apple trees are featured along the main façade, along with kousa dogwoods. Plantings also include purple-leafed nine-barks and smoke bushes, several hydrangea species, grasses & catamint.