For the Love of Gardens Lecture on June 4 at Sonnenberg Gardens

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park will be hosting a history lecture, For the Love of Gardens: The Artistry of Mary Clark Thompson, on June 4. Mary Clark Thompson and her husband Frederick were the original owners of the Sonnenberg Estate. Many of its 100 year-old gardens were designed to Mary’s wishes. Sonnenberg historian and archivist, Barbara Stahl, will share the inspirations and motivations that led Mary to create a Sonnenberg that today sees 35,000 people visiting annually to stroll through and enjoy its many beautiful gardens. The lecture will focus on letters, diaries, and other correspondence so Mary’s own words about her inspiration can be heard and will be held at Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park’s Carriage House in Canandaigua on Saturday, June 4 at 10 am. Registration for the lecture is $20/person and $15/Sonnenberg members. Admission to Sonnenberg Gardens is included in the registration fee. For more information or to register, please call Sonnenberg at 585-394-4922 or visit their website at www.sonnenberg.org. Registration at the door is also possible.Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park is one of America’s longest surviving estates from the Victorian Era. The elegant Queen Anne-style mansion was built in 1887 in Canandaigua by New York City financier Frederick Ferris Thompson, and his wife, Mary Clark Thompson, as a summer home. Between 1901 and 1920, the widowed Mrs. Thompson created the nine formal gardens as a tribute to the places she and Frederick had traveled to or had always wanted to visit. The grounds are open to the public from May 1 through October 31 each year. Sonnenberg is a non-profit organization dependent upon the support of members, sponsors, and its dedicated corps of volunteers. For more information, contact Marketing Director Kimberly Burkard or Executive Director David Hutchings at 585-394-4922.