Take the Hermit's Grove Garden Tour

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The views indicated in brackets refer to the photos which you can bring up clicking on the map icons. More information follows the Map Key Codes.

Our entire parcel of land is 1.3 acres and roughly, from the street, 75 feet wide and 700 feet deep, running from the street east. In front of the house we have gardens along the street. Treewalk is a path beneath the pine, douglas firs and cedar. The bed in the southwest corner along the street is Quince Corner. Between these gardens (the "Grove Gardens") and our cottage is grass, which you follow from the driveway.

To enter our gardens, you walk around the south side of our small house on the last of the grass. You are facing east. [view 1] Just inside the gardens is the grey tool shed. And, as the pebble paths begin, you can go to the left (to the north) or right.

The First Gardens

There are now three paths. One leads from the classroom and kitchen, one runs between the iris bed and patio and one is to the right of the tool shed.

If you enter the gardens from the classroom (which is in the addition just north of the house), you will see the path leading to the garden barn in the distance. [view 2]

At your left is the Welcome Garden. To the right of the path is the raised Iris Bed which holds our primary collection of hybrid bearded iris.

Just through the grape trellis you will find the Snowball Bed at your left, where we have peonies, trilliums, bleeding hearts, ladyslippers and orchids. The east side of that bed is the path to "Spade Cemetery" where old, broken spades are placed with honor.

This path continues along "Fir Lane", emerging toward the garden barn. [view 7] In this photo you see the Three Azaleas Bed at the left. The Kiwi Bed is at the right, the kiwi's trellis shading the hosta bed on it's back side.

[view 4] The path down the center of the gardens has the patio to the right (with the greenhouse and tool shed). The area around the patio is called the "Patio Garden" and, at the east end of that area, the "Upper Bush Garden, which holds six blueberries. There is a black composting bin at the Upper Bush Garden. Just to the left of that is the "dwarved apple tree," which is something of a landmark in the Garden Journal. Looking back from about Bush Garden [view 5] you can see how the gardens begin heading east from the house.

Just east of the Bush Gardens is the Forsythia Bed. And to the left of the path is Cherry Hill. Neither of these is very visible.

In the next photo [view 8], taken at Cherry Hill looking east, is the Lily Bed. At the edge on the right is the Lower Bush Garden (with more blueberries). At the upper left is Strawberry Hill. We are nearing the Dancing Circle.

Another view of Cherry Hill (immediately at your left) [view 6] shows the paths as they surround the Lily Bed and Strawberry Hill.

On the south side of the patio is the oldest grape arbor. [view 3] In this photo it is on your left. At the right is the Rose Hill Bed. Just beyond that, as the path curves to the left, is the Plum Thicket Garden.

the Dancing Circle

Immediately east of the garden barn [view 10 - this photo is at an angle] are the Yarrow Bed (behind the two compost bins). Then, along the fence the raspberry beds and the Rockery (the rock 'bin' built of rock beneath a weeping willow). Just above the compost bins is one of the rowan trees. The path continues to the entrance of the Dancing Circle.

[view 11] In the summer the entry trellis of black, wrought-iron, is covered with Will Goodwin clematis. You can see the God and Goddess and the altar. Another view is in the black and white photo. [view 9]. Just below the hawthornes on the right are three moss-covered rocks - The Three Sisters. At the south of the Dancing Circle is the path around the south grape arbor. [view 12] The new houses built along the south property line are visible over the fence.

the field gardens

From the Dancing Circle and garden barn back to the woods was originally a field. On the north third, looking back toward the Rockery, is the Herbwalk Garden, with a piano-shaped walkway beneath a willow, winding around a dogwood. [view 17] In this bed we have angelica, lovage, hyssop, thyme and much more. Near the Rockery is a bench. In the color photo [view 13] you see the path leading just along the south of the Herbwalk Garden with the woods (the 'Memorial Grove') in the distance.

Beyond the Rockery Garden is the Magnolia Garden. [view 18] At the right is the Gladiolus Bed. In the foreground the thyme patch in the Herbwalk Garden and, across a path just above, the Magnolia Garden. The magnolia, itself, is at the center of the photo but, without leaves, is very difficult to see.

Between those gardens in the northern third of the 'field' are beds such as the bed with the Siberian dogwood and, to the right of that, Lilac Crest, with its five lilacs. [view 14] In the foreground is the corner of PJ's Heart Bed.

Along the fence [view 16] continues the Catkin Bed. That bed begins just as you come around from the path in front of the south grape arbor. It has a large black pussywillow in it and then runs along the fence. In the center are more weeping willows and, in the left foreground, the end of the Cairn Bed.

For perspective, looking back from here toward the garden barn [view 15] are the same willows, the Cairn Bed, in the upper center PJ's Heart Bed and a small trellis on the east side of the Dancing Circle.

the Mound

From the willows looking east toward the woods [view 19] you can see a small, hexagonal bed for St. John's wort. The large bed in the center with the Color Guard yucca is Hawthorn Island. In the upper left is the wood siding of the 'Mound,' where old sod is being composted.

Just beyond the Mound [view 21] is the south path leading into the Memorial Grove. At the left is the Sumac Garden. For perspective, here is the Mound [view 20] covered with black vinyl (for composting) looking over toward the Magnolia Garden along the edge of the woods. This view [view 22] looks from the entrance to the Memorial Grove back toward the house.

the Memorial Grove

The main entrance is in the center of the wooded garden. It quickly leads around to the left bringing you into the 'camping square,' surrounded by all of the bins built to hold rocks from the gardens. [view 23].

From the camping square we again head east [view 24]. It is here where we have a large area of wild dicentra (Dutchmen's britches) which bloom in the spring. Just to the left of that additional rock bin the path turns east again. [view 25]. Half way back it is joined by the south path and then leads to the back area of the woodland garden. [view 26]

Near the end it forms a T. The left branch leads to the 'overlook' below which is a twenty-foot ravine created by erosion. To the right is the Stone Circle, [view 27] with many dozens of marbles for its 'floor' and a herd of brass unicorns sitting about on the stones. They were shy the day I took these photos and do not show up well.

Map Key Codes
	Grass	Drive way, patio, cement or patio block areas; wood ramp in front of garden barn	Altars in Dancing Circle, bench beneath crab apple, Stone Circle
	House	Trees	Compost bins, compost area of the mound
	Classroom, tool shed, garden barn	Gardens, beds, areas planted and tended	Miscellaneous open storage for containers, etc.
	Fire hydrant, propane tank, portable toilet	Greenhouse	Paths maintained with shredded cedar
	Stone paths	Rock bins, the "Rockery"

You will see this icon throughout the map. Clicking it will bring up a photo. The icon shows where the photo was taken and the direction the photographer was facing. Enjoy the tour!

The original black-and-white map of the gardens was hand-drawn by Salt (Nathan Salter), a Rowan Tree Church Member, during his summer, 2005 ce, garden internship with The Hermit's Grove.

The photos were taken by Rev. Paul Beyerl in the winter of 2004–05 ce to provide views unobstructed with foliage.

Page design by Jim Ward at Re:Ward, Inc.

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