Claude Monet, the celebrated Impressionist painter, was also a passionate gardener and horticulturist. The gardens he constructed during his 40 years at Giverny, rank as one of the great artistic projects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He settled there in 1883 and remained until his death in 1926. It was in Giverny that he conceived a paradise of arches with climbing roses, a water garden with a Japanese bridge covered with wisteria, weeping willows that reflected in the pond, and water lilies that bloomed all summer long. From this exquisite landscape, he created his most famous paintings.

You won’t have to travel further than the Bronx to get a taste of Monet’s magnificent paradise; the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has transformed its space into gardens reminiscent of Monet’s Giverny. On Sunday, September 9, you can enjoy a private tour of the gardens.

Designed by Tony Award-winning set designer Scott Pask, a façade of Monet’s famous pink house with green shutters provides a stunning entrance – stepping out from the house into a long corridor of
magnificent flowers. The main attraction is a living approximation of the two major gardens that Monet created; one in traditional French style, the other, a Japanese-inspired fantasia of water, lily pads and weeping willows. The Victorian glass house of the Conservatory opens onto an indoor re-creation of the Grand Allée at Giverny – a long path with extraordinary flowers blossoming on either side. As the seasons change, so will the flowers.

The entire show is organized by Paul Hays Tucker, one of America’s foremost authorities on Monet and Impressionism. There are two original Monet paintings on view; “The Artist’s Garden in Giverny” and “Irises.” Also on display is Monet’s painting palette, the only one in existence, on loan from the Musée Marmottan. Photographs of Giverny in different seasons by Elizabeth Murray, who gardened at Monet’s estate, are on view as well.

The cost – $105 – includes luxury coach, all gratuities, mimosas with breakfast en route, admission to the New York Botanical Garden, and private guided tour of “Monet’s Garden.” A selection of cheeses will be served with wine on the return trip. Note: Lunch is dutch-treat and available in The Visitor Center Café or Garden Café.

The bus departs from the back of the former Ames, Kingston Plaza, at 8am and the front of the Monticello Govt. Center at 9:15am. We return to Monticello at approximately 5:30pm and Kingston at approximately 6:45pm.

To reserve: make your check payable to AAUW (American Association for University Women), include your phone number, address and email, and mail it to: Linda Gold, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561. For further info, call Linda at 845-255-5256 or email artladyLG@aol.com. Specify “art tours” in the space for “subject.” Sign up early to ensure a spot. There will be no refunds unless the spot is filled by someone on the waiting list.