In Gardens of the Gilded Age, garden designer and author Jana Milbocker invites readers inside America’s most lavish historic estates, revealing the extraordinary landscapes that once served as the ultimate symbols of wealth, artistry, and ambition.
Interest in America’s Gilded Age has experienced a resurgence thanks to shows like HBO’s The Gilded Age, which returns for its fourth season this fall. The series has renewed fascination with the turn of the century, from its lavish entertaining and larger than life personalities to its opulent mansions and richly decorated interiors. But, while the architecture and fashion often steal the spotlight, a new book argues that some of the era’s greatest masterpieces were found just beyond the front door.
In Gardens of the Gilded Age: Lavish Landscapes from America’s Golden Era, garden designer, speaker, and travel writer Jana Milbocker shines a light on an often overlooked legacy of America’s wealthiest families: the magnificent gardens they commissioned during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Richly illustrated with contemporary photography and archival images, the book profiles 30 restored estates stretching from New England to Florida, many of which are now open to the public.
During the Gilded Age, roughly spanning 1870 to 1920, America’s booming industrial fortunes fueled a race to create the country’s most sensational private landscapes. Families such as the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and du Ponts invested heavily in gardens that rivaled those of Europe’s grand estates, transforming their properties into living works of art. They were inspired by extensive world travel, rare plant collections, and the finest landscape architects of the era. The result was a collection of landscapes that blended horticulture, architecture, and artistry into breathtaking outdoor spaces that became expressions of status, taste, and innovation.
Today, many of those once, private estates have been carefully restored, allowing visitors to experience landscapes that were once hidden behind iron gates for America’s elite.
Six unforgettable gardens featured in the book
One of the book’s most iconic destinations is Biltmore Estate, George Vanderbilt’s sprawling estate that encompasses more than 125,000 acres. While the château is famous in its own right, Milbocker explores how the estate’s formal gardens, woodlands, and carefully planned vistas remain just as captivating more than a century later.
Another highlight is Longwood Gardens, where Pierre S. du Pont transformed a historic property into one of America’s premier horticultural destinations. Elaborate conservatories, dazzling fountain displays, and seasonal gardens continue to make it one of the country’s most celebrated public gardens, attracting visitors from around the world.
Literary history and landscape design come together at The Mount, the former home of Edith Wharton. Designed with the same attention to proportion and elegance reflected in her writing, the gardens embody Wharton’s belief that architecture and landscape should exist in harmony.
In Newport, Rhode Island, readers are introduced to The Elms, where classical Italian sunken gardens complement one of the city’s most celebrated Gilded Age mansions. The formal layout demonstrates the influence of European garden traditions that captivated America’s elite.
Milbocker also highlights Nemours Estate, Alfred I. du Pont’s remarkable estate inspired by the Palace of Versailles. The expansive formal gardens, reflecting pools, and sculptural elements showcase the extraordinary scale of Gilded Age landscape design.
Farther south, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens blends Italian Renaissance influences with a subtropical setting overlooking Biscayne Bay. The result is one of the country’s most distinctive historic landscapes, where European grandeur meets South Florida’s lush environment.
More than beautiful gardens
While each estate tells the story of its original owners, Milbocker’s book also illustrates how these landscapes reflected an era of innovation and extraordinary creativity. Fueled by plant hunting expeditions, advances in horticulture, and fierce competition among America’s wealthiest families, the gardens became living showcases of craftsmanship, botanical knowledge, and artistic vision.
Beyond their historical significance, many of the landscapes and design principles featured throughout the book remain surprisingly relevant today. Garden rooms, dramatic fountains, carefully framed sight lines, and layered plantings continue to inspire modern landscape design and luxury outdoor living.
For travelers, Gardens of the Gilded Age doubles as a guide to some of the East Coast’s most spectacular historic estates and inspiration for a future road trip. For gardeners, history enthusiasts, and design lovers, it offers an invitation to look beyond the mansions and appreciate the landscapes that often played an equally important role as the grand homes themselves.
Beautifully photographed and thoughtfully researched, Gardens of the Gilded Age is more than just a coffee table book. It’s a celebration of America’s historic gardens and a reminder that some of the country’s greatest design achievements were created not only in stone and marble, but in hedges, fountains, flowering borders, and centuries-old trees. Whether you’re planning your next garden tour or simply looking for inspiration, Milbocker’s latest work opens the gates to one of America’s most extraordinary horticultural legacies and offers a fascinating look at the landscapes that helped define an extraordinary era.
