The Garden at Hillside Farms

Once a week, Matt delivers bread to the store at Hillside Farms. I have written before about the farm's exceptional heavy cream. Today I shall write about their exceptional garden.

There is something about this garden that lifts my heart when I walk into it. For me, it is a fresh perspective - I would not choose the colors or combinations here, but I am delighted when I see them. They make me bounce.

Part of it is the annuals, which I covet. Interesting and unusual annual starts are not available to buy in this area, so I start my own for my tiny garden... But most of my time is spent in the gardens of my clients, where cool annuals are sadly impractical. I'm stuck using the same old hardy, deer-resistant perennials and shrubs over and over. Booor-ring.

Ann, the Hillside Farms gardener

Pictures are easy here. Doesn't hurt that the gardener is perfectly lovely, and there are abundant cute animals hiding behind oversized leaves and paddling around in puddles. And scampering out of newly renovated antique greenhouses.

A bonus: at least some of the cute animals want you to pick them up! I hate it when cute animals don't want you to pick them up.

Ann's garden is loose and billowy and artistic. She combines ordinary flowers in unexpected ways, and here and there is something fabulous I have never seen before. When I find a new flower, I quickly locate Ann's straw hat in the landscape, so I can ask for an identification.

My intention is to do some progress posts of this garden through the season... So, stay tuned.