The call of the wild is like a call from an elderly grandparent: though you can’t quite make out what’s being said, you feel better about yourself when you answer. Pick up nature's phone with today's Groupon: for $5, you get adult admission (a $10 value) to Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum in Bristol. This deal expires October 11.

Named as one of New England’s top five public gardens in Yankee magazine, Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum spans 33 acres of lawns, gardens, trees, and historic stone structures. Through October 3, Blithewold is celebrating the seasonal color scheme with Autumn Splendor, a festival that includes access to colorful grounds (daily) and the more than a century-old mansion (Wednesday–Sunday), plus free children’s story time for children to read encyclopedia entries to each other (Friday at 11 a.m.).

Landscape architect John DeWolf designed the property's gardens, which surrounds the 45-room mansion with brilliant color. Walk along historic gravel paths to the rock garden and look at beautiful Narragansett Bay, or huddle around a 90-foot giant sequoia in the Enclosed Garden, contemplating outdoor sculptures by Paulette Carr and complex mathematical word problems set in gardens.

Reviews

Gardening maven Virginia Small named Blithewold the second-best public garden in New England on her top five list in Yankee magazine. The Providence Journal also featured Blithewold this year. Four TripAdvisors give it a 4.5-owl eye average.

• This stunning seaside setting merges historic and modern gardening. Rose, rock, and water gardens, specimen trees, and a woodland ("the Bosquet"). A popular site for weddings. – Ian Aldrich, Yankee
• I recently had the pleasure to visit Blithewold Mansion and Gardens. The self-guided tour was interesting and informative. I very much enjoyed being able to view the exhibits, rooms, and gardens at my own pace.– Ms. L, TripAdvisor