There are many wonders hidden in the United States and abroad. These places are often unknown or overlooked by many. One such place is a small town named Chautauqua. 
photo credit: A Girl Next Door
It is located by the Chautauqua Lake in Chautauqua County. This is the home of a cultural community called the Chautauqua Institution. The Chautauqua community has been around for more than 130 years.
The Chautauqua Institution, which sits near the edge of the town, is a gated community with a rich history in religion and learning and astounding architecture. A small community filled with narrow streets and perched on a hillside overlooking the Chautauqua Lake further accents this setting.
And with the emphasis being on learning and developing as a person it seems only appropriate that relaxing gardens fill every nook and cranny. It’s a gardener’s haven and home to the Chautauqua Bird Tree and Garden Club.
On a walk through the streets you will see statues, fountains, sculptures and hand crafted garden art in every imaginable style and form. Unusual and rare plants also grow in many gardens. Most of the gardens are annual flowers and perennials but you will see a few vegetables tucked in garden plots and containers sitting on porches.
One of my favorite gardens from a few years ago was a “secret garden” that was decorated with old vintage hats. These hats were treated to hold up to the climate and had been made into birdhouses. The proper size bird hole diameter was cut into each hat. And then the hats were hung in a fashion that looked like they had been tossed in the wind and had landed precariously on the fence and garden wall.
Their vibrant colors and shapes hanging on the fence and garden wall just gave a feeling of fun and surprise to this hidden garden.
The Bird, Tree and Garden Club offer talks and lectures on birds, bats, gardens and conservation techniques. The club also emphasizes the importance of nature and our duty to do what we can as individuals to maintain a healthy environment.
Roger Tory Peterson, a famous bird historian and wildlife artist grew up in a town nearby called Jamestown, NY. Peterson is most well known for his bird identification books, butterfly and wildflower books.
Peterson grew up in these hills in Chautauqua and by the Chautauqua Lake. He gave several talks at the Institution grounds and was honored on his 80th birthday for his contributions to birding and nature.
If you want to experience a variety of beautiful gardens that use many styles of garden art and garden techniques you should visit the Chautauqua Institution.
