High Meadow Farm

About

As a landscape architect, it is easy to migrate into creating a garden that has ample structure, contained outdoor rooms and the always present but sinuous and sometimes blurred connecting pathways. Structure that seasonally rises and falls in its prominence with the plants and snow that temporarily mask numerous stone walls, paths, plant trellis and organizing land form. There are really two gardens linked by managed woodland, walls, and fruit and specimen canopy trees: A memorial garden, featuring a natural outcrop and native plants, and a more traditional crafted set of garden rooms around the home. Plants are chosen and arranged as masses, drifts, lines, groups and specimens. A matrix of local stone walls tie the garden together and additionally link to the larger surrounding conserved field and forest. The garden delivers widely distributed bloom in all seasons, but peaks in May and August. While tranquility and rest are derived from this larger structure, there at the counterpoint are moving animations of line and guided direction, it strives to be a garden of casual relaxed elegance and veers off from any overly self-conscious boasting. It has distributed surprise and delight as counterpoint to an intended predictable and comforting order. Volunteer plants are mostly welcomed to make any one bed a family event. Pollinators are considered and welcomed in all seasons and especially the more difficult fall. We could say it certainly is not a high style garden, but it is not a self-determined, wild garden either, nor really a cottage garden. Just a simple garden, more than a collection of plants it expresses basic design principles of movement and landing, aggregating uniqueness to create focus, and assigned rooms. Working at being a delight, it shares with all gardens as an ever-changing work in progress.

This garden’s estimated size is 2-1/2 acres.

2025 Open Day:  Saturday, June 7

Hours:10-4

Garden Extra: A selection of the gardener's watercolor paintings will be on display for sale in the Barn Studio throughout the Open Day.