The property for our home and garden was selected because of the short front and deep back yard that is bordered by forest. In addition to wanting a deep, private rear garden, the short driveway to limit snow shoveling was a consideration. The rear garden is shielded from view by trees and large evergreens, with the front only teasing what’s around the corner.
The front garden is shaded by Japanese maples, a large yellow-flowered magnolia, and a towering purple-leafed beech, but the rear garden has become a forest with a multi-colored canopy of Japanese maples, dogwood, serviceberry, stewartia, and more. There are three ponds in the upper rear garden and a long stream. All are surrounded by plants so that one pond can barely be seen from the next, even a few feet away.
There has never been a master plan for the garden. I suspect this is common among obsessive plant lovers, but each section was inspired by a tree that I just had to have, or my urge to build another pond. Of the garden’s five ponds, several were constructed without the prior approval of my wife, built over a few days while she traveled to visit her grandmother. She was surprised, and I think pleased upon her return.
Once a pond is dug, inevitably it must be surrounded by plants but there must also be a space to sit and enjoy. I don’t sit much except to write when the garden inspires me, though as I age I must occasionally take a shaded rest break while planting.
Many tons of boulders are scattered about the garden, edging ponds but also terracing the slope. I’m not a frail oldtimer, at least not yet, but I marvel at boulders weighing hundreds of pounds that I once moved and wrestled into place. Boulders moved in recent years are a fraction of their size, but still larger than a reasonably cautious person should attempt to move.
With ponds, trees, and plenty of blooms, the upper rear garden is the preferred area for birds, squirrels, and other wildlife. Viewed from the sunroom that is perched above one pond, or while roaming the winding stone paths, this our favorite area of the garden.
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 
It was an utter joy, walking around your garden, from one picture to the next, it’s like an oasis of calm, and full of nature’s beauty. Thank you for sharing it, … as you say, most gardens are ever changing, my plan at first was to have a nice tidy garden, then came Bess, our excitable and beautiful Border Collie, and she ‘rearranged’ most of the plants, then we rearranged the hexagonal slabs, for her, and now she’s passed, and the garden is different again, overgrown in places, but always ever changing. 💫
When I’m strolling the garden I flip between calm and anxious ‘what can I do next’.
I always say, …maybe later, …💫
I do plenty of maybe laters and sometimes whatever I was supposed to do goes away without any assistance.
Beautiful Dave. Thank you for sharing your garden. I have found a helper in the last year or so and that’s been a great help in allowing me to delegate the heavier tasks and spend more time enjoying the view. There’s still always something to do every day though isn’t there? 🙂
While I walk through the garden I routinely pluck a few weeds or clean up fallen branches, so it seems to me I do very little maintenance. As you can see, there are not many gaps for weeds to grow.
great post..oh by the way your bird feeder is empty LOL
I don’t feed the birds at the time of year when there are caterpillars and insects to feast on. We hear chirping from five or six types of birds every day, so there must be enough here to sustain them.
I might have a group of Maste Gardeners interested in a tour.
Former neighbor.
Lynn Consolla
Great hearing from you. I’m happy to have a group tour the garden. It’s grown a bit since you were here. I can do just about any time. You can contact me at [email protected]
I can appreciate your comments on decreasing energy due to aging. I, too, had to begin taking rests as I did garden maintenance. Eventually, I had to give up my garden and move into a condo. That’s life!
I have lots of energy, in spurts. If I’m planting I can keep going, but chores require lots of rest.