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Heronswood Gardens 2008 Update
Recently, we completed a physical inventory of all the plants in the “Big Bang”, the main part of the garden. This update is the first in several years. Many exciting, newly collected plants were noted. Previously, our staff had accumulated data on accessions and placed the information in a long and complicated document with numerous separate fields, some of which were incomplete. Like the research and display garden for which it was named, it was grand, cumbersome and a bit unstable, due mainly to nomenclature changes between people entering the data, which is understandable over an active collecting period of more than fifteen years. Led by our research director Grace Romero, several staff members including our head gardener, Dave Smicker, and our new botanist, Bill Rein, traveled to Kingston to spend weeks counting and recording each plant. More Heronswood plants not “up” at that time will be verified later this summer.
On the production side, we have several full time gardeners and horticulturists working on the Heronswood nursery plants, both in research in Doylestown and Kingston, and in propagation in Delaware and western Pennsylvania as well as in Kingston. The original zone 8 Kingston garden continues to yield treasures, the duplicates of which we carefully uproot and bring back to our zone 5, 6 and 7 trial beds to test for adaptation, if we cannot accomplish the goal with cuttings or seed. In this traditional way of testing for climatic tolerance, we improve the plants we offer, assuring you greater success. The main adaptation center is Fordhook Farm in Doylestown, where Grace Romero has expanded the shade gardens by more than two acres over the past year, bringing the total acreage of rare perennials, shrubs and trees to four. In a couple of years, Fordhook will be as large and almost as diverse as Kingston.
This summer (Saturday, July 26) we shall stage a Heronswood West Coast Open Day in Kingston, like the one we put on there last year. (Please see West Coast Layers of Meaning and Kingston Tide.) Again, The Garden Conservancy will receive all the entry fee revenue. Check their website for details of the other fine gardens on the Bainbridge Island tour.
Many people ask us about the long-term status of the original garden at Heronswood, which we have put up for sale after operating it also as a nursery since the 2000 acquisition. Since May 2006, our answer hasn’t changed. We’ll sell it only to someone who loves it as much as we do, and agrees to maintain the living work of art that spreads over almost four acres. We’d answer the same if the question was about Fordhook Farm. We have lovingly restored and maintained the original Heronswood gardens, and we shall sell to another who does the same. While it is true that every speck of fir debris is not picked up daily and every path is not hand-raked weekly, it is untrue that the garden has suffered. On the contrary, water pressure is improved with the nursery plants gone, making it easier to water the garden, which had been a problem from time to time. And all the plants are given single-minded TLC by our resident horticulturist and botanist, Philip Bloomquist, who began at Heronswood as an intern in early 2006. He and the excellent horticulturist, Alan Hansen, deadhead, divide, prune and propagate for production. The gardens have seldom looked better.
Regarding the local non-profit group, the PNHC, they have met and talked with various members of The Garden Conservancy staff, which may help. We certainly hope so. The dialogue between the PNHC and us has resumed after stopping last spring. However, I have spoken only with their chairman, Lee Neff. She requested and I obliged with an appraisal done by the local firm of Strickland, Heischman and Hoss, Inc. They came in early and under budget, and one cannot say more about a professional service provider. Mr. Strickland was instrumental in the preservation of Kruckeberg Botanic Garden. Meanwhile, I have contracted with another very well regarded local firm to offer the property to the market. John Brian Losh at Ewing and Clark has agreed to take us on and he couldn’t have a more beautiful property to sell. Anyone interested in owning this splendid piece of horticultural history, please contact John. Needless to say, it would make a stunning second home, or retirement spot for a gardening enthusiast, with its well-built Oriental style cottage. With several large terraces, fountains and many trails, the four magical acres of extremely rare plants is the best entertainment spot a homeowner could ask for.
Those of you in the northeast US have an even greater surprise. Heronswood has moved right into your area—no more than half a day’s drive at the farthest. Boston is little more than six hours away, for example. Indeed, last month for our first Fordhook Open, we received several folks from Chicago who drove through the delightful mid-Atlantic region and included the Heronswood gardens at Fordhook for a day’s visit.
Our next Fordhook Farm Open, highlighting our large collection of hydrangeas, will take place July 12th from 10 AM to 5 PM. We shall have an assortment of rare Heronswood plants for sale, as well as a free collectible hydrangea to the first 200 visitors.
Come early and stay late.
Hello Mr George Ball, I guess I somehow missed the open house at Heronswood – West this year. Last year 2007 I was there and introduced myself briefly, as a distant relative of the Burpee family. Anyway it seems you are doing a great job with the gardens west and east and serving the gardeners of the world well. Congratulations for a terrific job. I have often thought of calling you, as you so graciously asked me to do that day. I have made some great discoveries in the world of organic production for farms and gardens. If you ever wanted to see what a difference it makes to REALLY GROW plants in the way nature(GOD) intended(as in the GARDEN OF EDEN). Maybe we should talk sometime soon!