Visiting my Goshen Garden

Throughout the summer I provide personalized tours of my garden in Goshen, Vermont for up to twenty people at a time.

While you are here I will share with you some of the history of the land and the underlying design concepts that have shaped the garden. I will tell you about the many plants I grow and and how I grow them, while leaving plenty of time to answer your questions on anything from design principles to sustainable garden practices.

A delightful country setting

Set on western slopes of the Green Mountains and bounded by the National Forest, my garden is both intimate and dramatic. Nearby mountains are framed by a white birch frames, while off in the distance the Adirondacks High Peaks are clearly visible.

This old barn foundation has many stories to tell

For over a hundred years the land that is now my garden was part of an expansive mountain farm--first with sheep and then cattle. Today we are blessed with rich fertile soil that is perfect for growing a wide range of garden plants.

When we first moved here--about twenty-five years ago--there was little more than a rough meadow enclosed by scrubby trees and pierced with glacial rocks and the foundations of old barns.

Nearby mountains create the perfect backdrop for Judith' garden

Since then, as a personal avocation and a labor of love, I have been gradually transforming this space into a beautiful garden.

Today exuberant sunny flower beds flow gracefully together while contrasting shady spaces provide an ideal home for woodland beauties. Throughout rustic stone walls create terracing as needed and a bountiful vegetable garden yields produce for kitchen and freezer.

From the common to the unusual: plants in abundance

Like all gardeners I love to find the perfect plant for each individual spot. In addition to the 'tried and true 'stalwarts-- daylilies, Shasta daisies, coneflowers and many more--you will also find many unusual gems--such as the ones you see pictured here--which also thrive in my Vermont garden.

Peony 'Raspberry Sundae'

Himalayan Blue poppies (Meconopsis betonicifolia)

False Hydrangea (Deinanthe caerulea)

A haven for wildlife

From bees to butterflies, frogs to birds, this is also a garden that abounds with the energy of living creatures. Nothing gives me more pleasure than watching the Monarch or the Tiger swallowtail butterflies swarm over their favorite flowers as they feast on the nectar. as they flit from plant to plant in search of nectar while the cedar waxwings catch insects in the air above the pond.

Ever evolving

Like all gardeners I love to watch the garden as it magically changes with the seasons-- from spring to summer to fall and into winter, as well as the more subtle changes as the years roll by.

And I am always planning for changes and expansions. This coming year I plan to add a meandering woodland path above the old barn foundation as well as put the finishing touches on a new 'front garden' that is visible from the road. My garden will never be quite finished--but that is the way that all gardens are.