Garden four? Yeah I think we are at number four. While Willowwood Arboreteum is not a rose garden it is literally magical nonetheless. Driving off a quiet country road through meadows filled with long golden grass past a few deer casually walking across the driveway made me feel like I was in some surrealistic dreamy movie. I spent the best hour…golden hour…wondering around the grounds on a warm July day that was serving up soft breezes and all the right feels but I’m sure this place is perfect no matter the hour or the month.

I parked in the small parking lot covered with a canopy of tree branches which eventually gave way to a gravel path cutting through a small grass clearing. There’s a meadow to the left where an older gentlemen in hat sat in his own wooden folding chair…he reminded me of Claude Monet at his gardens in Giverney…maybe it was just the magic of this place but it doesn’t really matter. Opposite the parking lot lay two buildings, the Stone Barn and the Shingle Barn covered in vines and various greenery and are connected by a wisteria arbor. As I passed the huge white hydrangeas on either side of me and under the arbor I could see a very sweet bride and groom being directed by their photographer on how to pose, this seems like an amazing place to have a quiet and quaint wedding however I wasn’t sure if they were just there for photos. Regardless I passed quietly saying congratulations and letting them go about their business while I went exploring.

I followed the natural flow of the grounds and informal paths passing by the Propagation House and an enormous and gorgeous magnolia tree to find the Cottage Garden which is in front of the Tubb’s Residence where the original designers of the garden resided. The scrolling iron gate creeked open and if I felt like I was in a scene from a magical movie before this really took the cake. At this time of year the flowers along the edge of the path were red, white and blue…I imagine as a nod to 4th of July?

Behind the house is a wooded area with a path marked by the stone structures seen below and a small foot bridge the beckons you to come in. The path winds in out of trees, passed huge shoots of bamboo and over the brook in the form of stone quaint stone or wooden bridges.

I emerged at the end of the trail….which basically was a big loop or at least it was the way I walked it (through the orchard) and passed under another arbor and passed the bluest of blue hydrangea bushes I’ve ever seen. How do they keep deer from eating these? I have no answers so don’t hold your breath of gardening tips from me but they must have the secret.

Eventually I wondered into the Rockery, Chive Walk and Rosarie…the Chive Walk leads you to the Rosarie which is a garden that features bright and boldly colored flowers that change as the season goes on. I was too late for the roses but that was ok, the design and the flowers that were blooming reminded of one of my favorite movies, Stealing Beauty, which is set in Italy. Naturally this makes sense as this area of the arboretum is based on Mediterranean style garden complete with water feature at the end of the path and it feels markedly different than the rest of the grounds but in the best way possible.

This is a great spot to visit for a walk, to take in the gardens or even just set ups your wooden chair like Monet guy and stare off into the meadow as the sun set. If I was a plein air painter I would be here regularly in the warmer months. Maybe this will inspire me to do that the way my grandfather used to? Who knows.

Catherine

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