DEEP CUT GARDENS
352 Red Hill Road, Middletown, Monmouth County
52 acres

Directions:

The park is located east of Tatum Park and a mile and a half east of the Garden State Parkway, exit 114. Exit at exit 114 and follow Red Hill Road past Tatum Park (on the left) to Deep Cut Gardens.

History:

1778  --  Lord Cornwallis retreated from the Battle of Monmouth along Red Hill Road.  The property that is now Deep Cut Gardens was already being farmed at the time.

1890  --  until this year, the land remained in the Taylor and Osborn families.  The Sheriff took it over.

1907  -- the property was sold for taxes and left undeveloped.

1935  -- Vito Genovese bought the property, renovated the old farm house, and had gardens constructed.

1948  --  the house burned in the year the property was sold to Mary Gladys Cubbage. She cared for the gardens until she sold the property.

1953 --  Karl and Marjorie Wihtol took title to the property.

1954 --  they built the house that is now the Horticultural Center.

1977  --  Mrs. Wihtol bequeathed 20 acres to the Park System which purchased an additional 20 acres with state Green Acres funds.

1990  --  the park system added 13 more acres.

Keelen Estate; Middletown; Completed in 1990, 12 Acres; twelve beautiful acres of steep, wooded slopes adjacent to Deep Cut Park on Red Hill Road in Middletown were saved from an 11-lot subdivision by the Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) acquisition. The purchase was made possible by a substantial gift received from the owner Mrs. Patricia Keelen in memory of her late husband. This picturesque land was conveyed to the County as an addition to the existing Deep Cut Park.

(Source: http://www.monmouthconservation.org/land.html)

Facilities:

The garden is dedicated to the home gardener.

1. Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden
2. Lily Pond
3. Horticultural Center
4. Gardener's Cottage
5. Display Greenhouse
6. Shade Garden
7. Azalea and Rhododendron Walk
8. Rockery
9. Butterfly and Humming bird Walk
10. Parterre
11. Pergola
12. Pond
13. Meadow Walk
14. Dried Flower Production Field
15. Production Greenhouse
16. Vegetable Gardens
17. Monmouth County Home Composting Demonstration Facility