We are located 3-1/2 Miles East of Jamestown, and 4-1/4 miles West of Interstate 71, on Old Route 35.
Click here for map and directions.
 

Garden Walk

Broken out into four pages. Approximately 20 photos per page. Upper; Side; Lower; Other.

This is an attempt to give the viewer at least some idea of the overall feel of the garden, mostly in the hope that it will entice you to come for a visit. The photographic sequence follows a walking tour of the grounds in a pattern similar to one which you would follow were you here.

The garden’s overall layout and design were determined by:

- the fact the house and barns were already in place;

- there was already some natural contour to the land (a bit unusual given the surrounding flat farm lands);

- the plot itself has an irregular shape with odd angles, a result of decades-old boundaries; - the strong desire on my part to create many ‘mini-vistas’, a surprise at every turn, and the opportunity to see all of the plants in smaller composite groups as well as up close;

- and a hope that somehow this collector’s garden (more or less – less when compared to what serious collectors usually spend) would also be a real garden, one with unity and solidity of style while being both fun and satisfying at the same time.

Plant associations have been selected with an eye for continuity of theme for an area as well as contrast with neighbors. Continuity may be focused on subtle (and not so subtle) color themes, or soil type (it varies wildly throughout the space – again, the influence of decades of different uses), or need for focus. There are many plants of fastigiated (straight up) habit, or weeping (sometimes called pendulous, sometimes just more horizontal), or twisted or even a combination thereof; of variegated, or yellowish or red/purple or bluish foliage or needles. They may have berries (different colors) for fall/winter or bark that peels and flakes or interesting cones and often a combination of these characteristics. Textures can range from large, shining foliage to finely cut (dissected) and feathery and most everything in between. It is always a challenge (a lot of run really) to put such disparate characters together in a way that resembles a cast.

In this way, the garden is very like a play with no closing scene in which the characters are permitted to improvise (they will whether one permits it or not): it will never be finished (no garden really is) and one never really knows just where the plot is going and certainly not where it will end. One knows only where it all started and the general direction desired and even that will change as plants mature. Perhaps that’s why it’s so much fun and a never-ending source of joy.

NOTE: When you click on one of the sidebars: upper, side, or lower, you will see an additional side bar button appear to the right of the one you clicked, labeled with the same word but with 'pics' added.  The left button will show you all of the photos for that section in small size pictures; you can click on a picture to see a larger version OR you can start with the right side button which begins 'Pics ….' and you will get the larger sized photos one at a time, and can then use the directional bars above the photo to go forwards or backwards in the series.  There are additional buttons on each page of the single photos to help you get somewhere else in the photo section.  Hope you find this fairly easy to use.  The 'OTHER' section is a miscellany, mostly of winter scenes.