April 2015

Springtime on Chappaquiddick

Cape Cod Life  /  April 2015 / ,

Writer: Matthew J. Gill

Springtime on Chappaquiddick

April 2015

Cape Cod Life  /  April 2015 / ,

Writer: Matthew J. Gill

Springtime on Chappaquiddick

“A visit to Chappaquiddick should obviously include a visit to Mytoi Garden,” says Chris Kennedy, superintendent of the Trustees’ five properties on Martha’s Vineyard. “It’s a place where you really can unwind. Of all the properties we have, it’s places like Mytoi that refresh the human spirit.”

Mytoi glimmers with several pools, a stream, and a small island with a charming bridge. Around every turn, endless varieties of trees, plants, and flowers—from azaleas to rhododendrons, daffodils to seaside goldenrod—grow with abandon.

Naturally, the garden teems with wildlife, from deer and cottontail rabbits, to a wide variety of birds. Cardinals are a vivid sight, and last year, one hummingbird family made its nest in a cypress tree. Lucky visitors may see Black-crowned Night Herons, or perhaps, in the late afternoon, recognize the call of the Great Horned Owl. The snapping turtles in the pond are well accustomed to people, Kennedy adds, and they enjoy being fed, which is allowed.

Though Mytoi is not a Japanese term—former owner Hugh Jones worked in the garden so much he referred to it as “my toy”—it is often described as “a Chappaquiddick garden with Japanese influence.” A “torii,” or a Japanese-style gate, which literally means “welcome,” serves as the main entrance to the property, and along the grounds visitors can pause at a Japanese-style hut, which offers shade, seating, and an opportunity, as Kennedy says, “to watch the world go by.” Another bonus: admission is free, year-round.

Springtime on Chappaquiddick

How, one might ask, did this one-of-a-kind, Japanese-themed oasis come to be on Martha’s Vineyard? The answer dates back to 1954, when Mary Wakemen acquired the property, which was located just across the street from her home. Wakemen, in turn, sold the land (for $1) to Jones, an architect who had designed her Japanese-style home. Having served as an architect with the U.S. military in Japan following World War II, Jones had developed an appreciation for Japanese culture, including the nation’s distinctive gardening style.

When Jones moved to Edgartown in the 1950s, he opened an antique shop, the Orient Trader, and in his spare time, set to work developing a portion of the land Wakemen had given him. He dug the pond on the property, and with the excavated rock and soil, he created a hill next to it, which he reportedly dubbed Mt. Jones. He added goldfish to the pond, planted 2,000 daffodils, and incorporated many other special touches.

Springtime on Chappaquiddick

Matthew J. Gill

Matthew Gill is the former editor of Cape Cod LIFE and Cape Cod ART magazines. A graduate of U-Mass Dartmouth, Matthew has worked as a journalist since 2003 and has written on topics ranging from the sinking of Nantucket’s whale ship Essex and the history of the Barnstable-Falmouth Thanksgiving football rivalry, to the Cotuit Rowing Club, Provincetown’s Art’s Dune Tours, and more! A relative newcomer when it comes to the Cape, Matt and his wife Melissa just celebrated a Cape Cod-themed wedding.