Gardens and Outdoor Spaces

Up a long rustic drive, nestled on a secluded hillside, the house and gardens are a peaceful haven.  The house's relationship to the outdoor space is designed to enhance physical and spiritual health through an integral connection to the outdoors.  From the center of the main interior space, there's a view outside in every direction.  The walls of casement windows open out nearly 90 degrees, and the home's eight full-glass panel doors open fully and latch against the exterior of the house, so that, in warm weather, the house is as open as a screened porch.  Master bedroom sleeping loft is a completely windowed "treehouse," with distance views.  Decks on three sides of the house ensure that there's always a shady (or sunny) spot.  Gardens are designed for sitting or strolling, and the entire yard has been created to attract and protect birds and wildlife. 

The grounds have extensive native organic gardens, with some non-native ornamental beds for their unique features.  The gardens are designed to create an oasis for wildlife by providing native plantings and  extensive habitat, including ponds, brush piles, downed trees, long grasses, woodland, rock piles, bird baths, vernal pool, and wetland.  Food gardening includes large sloped organic vegetable beds, cold frames, and established composting.

• Blackburnian Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Magnolia Warbler
• American Redstart
• Common Yellowthroat
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
• Winter Wren
• Hermit Thrush
• Scarlet Tanager
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Barred Owl
• Pine Siskin
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Northern Goshawk
• Ruffed Grouse
• Cooper's Hawk
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Wild Turkey
• Common Redpoll
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

 

• Allium cernuum (Nodding Onion)
• Aristolochia macrophylla (Dutchman's pipe)
• Aronia arbutifolia (Chokeberry)
• Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger)
• Baptisia alba v. macrophylla (Prairie False Indigo)
• Callirhoe digitata (Wine cups)
• Ceanothus americanus  (New Jersey Tea)
• Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
• Chelone lyonii (Pink Turtlehead)
• Clematis virginiana (Virgin's Bower)
• Clethra alnifolia "Ruby Spice" (Summersweet)
• Coreopsis x. "Moonbeam"  (Moonbeam Coreopsis)
• Cornus Geauge (Dogwood Geauge)
• Cyrysoganom (Golden Star)
• Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Hayscented Fern)
• Diervilla sessilifolia (Sounthern Bush Honeysuckle)
• Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Fothergilla)
• Hydrangea quercifolia (Oak Leaf Hydrangea)
• Hypericum kalmianum (St. John's-wort)
• Ilex glabra (Inkberry Holly)
• Iris virginica (Southern Blue Flag)
• Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire)
• Kalmia angustifolia (Sheep Laurel)
• Liatris pycnostachya (Prairie Blazing Star)
• Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
• Mertensia viginica (Virginia Bluebells)
• Monarda "Raspberry Wine" (Bee Balm)
• Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beard-tongue)
• Physocarpos opulifolius "Center Glow" (Common Ninebark)
• Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern)
• Potentilla fruticosa (Shrubby cinquefoil)
• Rhododendron dalendulaceum (Flame Azalea)
• Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia)
• Senna habecarpa (Wild Senna)
• Spiraea alba v. latifolia (Meadowsweet)
• Tiarella cordifolia v. collina (Clumping Foam Flower)
• Vernonia noveboracensis (Ironweed)
• Viburnum opolus v. americanum (Cranberry Viburnum)
• Xanthorhiza simplicissim ( Yellowroot)
• Ziaia aptera  (Heart-leaved Alexanders)