When we first bought our old farmhouse as a weekend escape, our emphasis was on improving the ornamental gardens immediately surrounding the house and adding additional gardens in place of some of the grassy areas. The previous owners had concentrated primarily on annual flower planting. We were more interested in adding shrubs and annual plantings that we could build on over the years to come.
Fortunately, the farm family who lived on the property the longest, throughout most of the 1900′s, planted many beautiful trees around the house. In addition to three huge Norway Spruces and and an enormous Honey Locust that provide beautiful shade around the house, we are lucky to be surrounded by sensational, established red buds, flowering cherry and apple trees.
Now that we are living here full-time, our focus has shifted from ornamental gardens to plantings that provide fruit and vegetables. We’ve begun to turn an acre that was used for cow and horse grazing in the past into a highly productive vegetable garden that we can expand each year. A smaller raised bed garden that is closer to the house is being converted into a cutting garden and beds for berries; red currants, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.
Scroll through these photos of the gardens as the seasons progress.
bearded iris in April
Allium, Clematis and Peonies
Robin’s nest in arbor
baby robins born in June
Dutch Iris in May
Cosmos- July
Zinnias and Dill- July
yellow swallowtail butterfly on butterfly bush
June 2010
the first acorn squash
brandywine tomatoes on the vine
phlox in August
first heirloom pumpkin
tomatoes and zucchini
zinnias for cutting
Sweet Autumn Clematis
Monarch butterfly on zinnia
