By Tovah Martin

Photos by Rana Faure

Orangerie Garden + Home is Anthony Bellomo’s version of heaven-for-gardeners. Kept warm and cozy in the confines of a snug glasshouse, tempting little botanical delights stretch branches toward the sun and perform their wonders despite the stark weather outdoors. Trained as a landscape architect in Syracuse, working in the green profession throughout New York State for many years, Anthony Bellomo knows more than a thing or two about serving up what gardeners crave. Previous to opening the shop, he found the essentials of gardening in Millbrook neighborhood nurseries. But he was missing the delightful botanical boutique treats that send gardeners swooning.

Like many Millbrook-area residents, Anthony Bellomo formerly made the trek upstate every weekend. In his case, weekending at Clove Brook Farm with partner Christopher Spitzmiller was a refreshing break from working for a city-based landscape firm. Before making the weekly trip, Bellomo would sprint around to New York City resources, gathering the goodies needed to bring their country home to the level of horticultural splendor that he aimed to hit. He’d fill the car with cut flowers, rare plants, topiaries, and similar high end down-to-earth delights, unloading his haul upon arrival at the Greek Revival farmhouse in Dutchess County that the couple share. Sometimes…actually quite frequently…he wished that those resources were available in Millbrook without the schlep.

Then all the planets aligned. Anthony Bellomo began spending virtually all his time upstate, thanks to the pandemic. “At first, I figured it was just a temporary relocation,” he recalls, “but ultimately, I realized that I really like being here and maybe it was the right time to make a new commitment.” Serendipitously, an opportunity to commit came to Bellomo. On the outskirts of Millbrook, a nursery had closed and its greenhouse was sitting vacant, begging for a vendor. When the owner approached Anthony Bellomo to take the space under his wing, he figured it was kismet at work. “The greenhouse was the lure. I really engaged with the site,” Bellomo admits. But rather than making the greenhouse into the usual hard nosed growing area that most garden centers maintain, Bellomo had another vision. He wanted to create a jewel box.

Orangerie Garden + Home is the result of that fantasy, and winter is when it really shines. “Most garden centers close down in winter,” Bellomo found, “leaving local gardeners with no place to escape.” The Orangerie is an escapist’s paradise.

Anthony Bellomo understands that collecting can confuse beginners. Rather than serving up a dizzying array of diverse plants in his small crystal palace, he sets up his greenhouse in quadrants like a garden with sections devoted to each group of plants. But that’s not all. He also uses his indoor glass garden to demonstrate how deliciously artistic indoor plants can be. He has clay containers of all pedigrees. Plus, plants are profiled in swank cachepots and he has a carefully curated collection of dreamy containers like you’ve never seen before. He sources craftspeople throughout the country, bringing resources home to Millbrook, but also profiling local artisans such as Ben Wolff. “The presentation is key,” he says.

Beyond busting the bleakness of winter, Anthony Bellomo’s newest endeavor is devoted to educating the gardening and wannabe-gardening local community by hosting educational classes within his crystal realm. “I want to offer topiary courses and bulb-forcing classes here,” he enthuses. “The glass house has always felt like a gateway into the village, and I want to be the area resource.” Check out orangeriegarden.com for hours and more information.