Tower Hill Botanic Garden offers the chance to discover the details behind the restoration of Newport's iconic Blue Garden

All are invited to listen in to the story of how the historic Blue Garden in Newport, R.I., was returned to its former state of glory thanks to the efforts of those dedicated to preserving botanical history.

“Legacy in Blue: Recapturing an Iconic Newport Garden,” will be presented from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.

A reception with the speakers will follow from 3 to 4 p.m. The public is asked to pre-register for the free with admission presentation at towerhillbg.org.

The Blue Garden, with its monochromatic conception of purples and blues, was designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted Jr., who had an office in Brookline and finished the project in 1913. Landscape historian Arleyn Levee and landscape architect Sarah Vance, director of the Blue Garden, will share their experience restoring this unique garden, now owned by Dorrance “Dodo” Hamilton, located on Beacon Hill Road in Newport. While working as a senior associate for Reed Hilderbrand, a landscape architectural firm in Cambridge, Vance, a Brookline resident, served as project designer for the Blue Garden’s rehabilitation plan.

She was able to analyze the original planting schemes of the blue flowering plants such as agapanthus, delphinium, heliotrope and hydrangeas, and she researched the evergreen frame that is the transition from rocky landscape to cultivated garden. Levee, an historian from Belmont specializing in the Olmsted family, worked closely with Vance in keeping with the garden’s historic origins, including two reflecting pools and two large pergolas at the northern and southern ends of the gardens.

Today, the Blue Garden exists as a testament to cultural preservation, landscape design, and horticultural expertise. Tower Hill will offer a trip and tour to the Blue Garden on July 23. For more information call 508-869-6111 or visit towerhillbg.org. Tower Hill Botanic Garden is located at 11 French Drive in Boylston, Mass. Admission is $12 for adults and $9 for seniors.