Paxson Hill Farm

Know what this is? It's an Imu at Paxson Hill Farm. I was about to say "my favorite nursery" but Paxson Hill is so much more than that.

The nursery exists mainly to supply Bruce Gangawer's garden design and landscaping business with plants. (Well, that's ostensibly the reason--something like this place doesn't evolve except through love and passion.) What Bruce doesn't use, he sells. Fortunately, his taste tends toward unusual, hard-to-find plants not available in commercial nurseries. Plants such as Astilboides tabularis, Darmera peltata, Pycnantemum muticum, a variety of different Epimediums, Ligularias, Silphiums, Carexes, that extraordinary Lespedeza 'Gibraltar' ... always something for the discerning eye.

Actually, Lynn runs the nursery operation, and you'll probably be talking to her on your visit. She's very knowledgeable about the plants, and can answer any questions you have.

Then there are the display gardens. A woodland garden filled with shade plants is right next to the nursery area (though I took no photos on my last visit). Across a stretch of lawn is the paddock where the Imus live along with Alpacas and the occasional miniature horse.

Several years back, I remember seeing Bruce on a tractor at work in the distance. I didn't know what he was doing. It wasn't until the following spring that I realized what he was up to ... he was making a new garden in full sun, with ponds and waterfalls and streams.

Here is the main entrance. Great composition, with the black bridge overarching a waterfall, the curving gravel path in the foreground, and the mounding trees behind, giving a dramatic sense of depth even in this two-dimensional photo. As usual, I visited at the height of early afternoon brightness, so much detail is lost. If you look closely you can see three of many Lespedeza 'Gribralter', which will be covered in drooping masses of scarlet flowers in late summer.

Right now, the Japanese irises are in bloom, in many colors. They thrive here and I've always wondered why because this is a sun drenched garden, and it appears to be quite dry.

Use of honeysuckle as a ground cover was one of my first surprises in this garden. I'd never seen it used in that way. It's quite effective left to mound and creep where it will.

More Japanese iris. They're everywhere ...

This was a rather flat piece of land before. Now it's been transformed, terraformed in a magical way, with dramatic changes in elevation.

Artful use of varied path materials--gravel, stone, wood--and ground covers ...

Headed up the hill toward the source of the water in a bubbling "spring."

A view across to the maze garden, with the gazebo on a hill ...

Display plantings in the wooded garden at the top of the hill ...

After several year's growth, the rock garden is just about perfect ...

Looking toward the nursery area from the elevated gazebo ...

The upper pond ...

The sales nursery ... and behind that greenhouses with tropical plants, an unusual selection of annuals, pots and planters, fish and aquatic plants ...

Even if you're not buying, or not even looking, Paxson Hill Farm is a wonderful place to be--though if you're a plant lover, you'll probably leave with something.

Follow the Paxson Hill link at the top of this post for driving directions, and more information on the nursery.

Aerial view of Paxson Hill Farm

The Garden at Paxson Hill Farm

One of my favorite nurseries is Paxson Hill Farm, straight across the Delaware River from here, about four miles as the crow flies, but more like eight if you drive. Located a little north of New Hope, Pennsylvania, in Bucks County, Paxson Hill Farm is a very special place. It offers an unusual selection of perennials and shrubs, a collection of animals (emus, peacocks, even white peacocks, white turkeys, guinea hens, llamas), and an extraordinary garden in the making. The owner, Bruce, originally started the garden with a mound capped by a gazebo structure and surrounded by a maze of privet hedges, which you can see in the lower right of the Google Earth photo below. This photo was taken six years ago, so what you don't see is the subsequent growth of that maze garden and, more importantly for me, the magnificent wild, gravel garden Bruce has started to the left of the maze garden.

I took these photos in early September of 2009. At that time, I believe this garden was only in its second or third season. I think a year of site preparation preceded that, during which Bruce contoured the land, added several ponds linked by streams, fountains and waterfalls, and numerous large rocks, as well as the pumps and conduits to make it all work. This visit was unfortunately at high noon, so the light is as harsh as it gets and the colors aren't nearly as intense as they would be at another time of day.

At this early September visit the Lespedezas were in full bloom.

Above is the central area of the garden. You can see the free use of grasses and carex of many different types, large lespedezas, and evergreen accents, with a view of the Japanese bridge in the far center (painted black, not red), crossing above the largest waterfall. Click on the photos to see the details of the planting, much of which hasn't yet had time to grow in fully.

 

To the left is a large grass border, using Miscanthus 'Giganteus' to completely obscure the view of the maze garden behind it, smaller miscanthus, irises in profusion and, edging the path, various grasses and carex. Note the path of recycled railroad ties. Bruce has used gravel paths in interesting combinations with other materials, as you'll see below.

  

The bridge registers almost as negative space with the bright flowering miscanthus behind it.

  

  

A groundcover of Japanese blood brass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') with a pennisetum.

  

Palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis) beside the water.

 

A view across the pond. Notice the use of many carex.

 

An interesting pattern using cross-cut "tiles" from timbers.

  

  

One large rock as a simple step.

  

Another planting of Miscanthus and irises.

  

I'm only guessing, but this may be Carex glauca 'Blue Zinger'.

  

Another carex planting.

  

The view from the far side of the pond, from among a grove of trees.

A simple, and elegant, stone bridge ...

  

downstream from this bubbling pool.

  

A rock garden in the making.

 

Moving into the maze garden.

 

Looking back toward the wild garden.