At Old Westbury Gardens, nature is not just a backdrop—it is the heart of the experience. Every path, view, and flower reflects more than a century of care and connection with the land. Today, as visitors explore the grounds through changing seasons, they are participating in a tradition that started long before the gardens opened to the public.

That tradition can be traced directly to Margarita Grace Phipps, who lived at Westbury House from 1906 to 1957. Far from being a passive observer of the estate’s beauty, Margarita was deeply involved in shaping it. Her hands-on approach is vividly preserved in the Old Westbury Gardens archival collections, where seed orders, planting lists, garden diagrams, and handwritten notes reveal a woman who understood the garden as both a living artwork and a personal expression of care.

In an oral history recorded with George Wittlinger Sr., Superintendent of the Phipps Estate for over 30 years, he recalled Margarita’s keen eye and her desire to let nature speak for itself. As he remembered her often saying:

 “Do not cut the dead frost head blooms off – I want to see nature take its course” – “and she would see some of the flowers weren’t effected, roses for instance weren’t effected by frost, only those that were open would be effected, but those were just going to open would be effected – she’d get the pleasure of seeing that and compare with the ones that were frozen – she’d stop there in her electric chair and she’d love it.”

This glimpse into Margarita’s philosophy reveals a gardener who valued not just beauty, but process. Her approach resonates strongly with the way Old Westbury Gardens continues to evolve today.

By pairing archival insight with the living landscape, visitors are able to walk the same paths Margarita once planned, experiencing the gardens as a work of art shaped over generations. Her legacy is preserved in the archives and in the way the gardens continue to grow and develop under her lasting influence.

Access the full oral history and other recently digitized items through our digital portal on New York Heritage, https://nyheritage.org/organizations/old-westbury-gardens

NY Heritage is a repository for hundreds of digital collections from different libraries and organizations. Items including photographs, letters, diaries, maps, artifacts and oral histories have been contributed by over 430 libraries, museums, archives and cultural institutions, offering a glimpse into the history and culture of what is today New York State.