Garden One

From the abandoned heron rookery at the head of the drive to the botanical treasures that fill the beds, this inland acreage holds a series of unexpected delights. Not merely a plant connoisseur’s paradise, this garden values composition as well as collection. No wonder it has twice been featured on Garden Conservancy tours.

Beneath towering firs, islands of interest overflow with choice taxa as diverse as windmill palm, chocolate mimosa, species rhododendron, acanthus, Solomon seal, and Petasites japonicus. The open woodland is a haven for the owners’ collection of arisaema and a grove of Tetrapanax papyrifer. A stroll around the gardens will test the identification skills of even the staunchest plant enthusiast.

This land has been in the wife’s family for 43 years. Her interest in gardening can be traced to 1999 when she began grooming the property for her daughter’s wedding. A decade later, the garden has grown to several acres. Visitors may also step off the garden path onto a nature trail that winds through undeveloped forest.

The owners recently added a greenhouse for plant propagation and overwintering. Just outside, lilies scent the summer air. Elsewhere, raised dahlia beds provide cut flowers to sell at the family’s roadside stand. As the head gardener, the wife has a simple philosophy: “It’s not enough to read about gardening; I want to find out for myself.”

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