This month several members of the Take Joy Society met at Surreybrooke for a garden tour and picnic. Surreybrooke has been in operation since the late 1970s when Nancy Walz began her business at craft fairs selling handmade candles and dried-flower wreaths from homegrown everlasting flowers. When I moved here in 1981 I made yearly visits as she began to grow her business by selling plants next to her house. As she expanded her flower beds on their farm I could always go there to get ideas for my garden and buy perennials and annuals you don't usually find at Lowes or Home Depot. Over the years they have added four greenhouses, reconstructed salvaged log cabins to house garden-themed merchandise, and built buildings like the Pavilion to host weddings and other events.
The tour started at the Pavilion where we'd have our picnic afterwards. I'd brought along a tablecloth and had small pots of succulents for Edie and Chris from my garden so I was surprised to find the tables were already set with quilted tablecloths and pots of succulents! . . . .
It was a gorgeous, no-threat-of-thunderstorms day for a change. The views from the Pavilion. . . .
Once the other people attending the tour arrived, Nancy began telling us about the special trees on the property. Edie took notes. These are just a few of the many trees Nancy has planted on their property: Evodia (known as the handkerchief tree), Trident Maple (doesn't get too big and has beautiful fall color), Weeping Redbud, American Ironwood (also called Parrotia, small with bright red leaves in autumn), Copper Beech, Paperbark Maple, Kentucky Coffee (said to be used by Confederates to make coffee when they ran out of the real thing), native Smoke Tree, Chinese Persimmon, deciduous Larch (Pseudo Larch), Blue Atlas Cedar. . . .
We crossed this little stream that runs through the property. It is an offshoot from Hawbottom Branch, a stream that flows down off Gambrill Mountain. What makes it especially interesting is that this offshoot seems to flow in the wrong direction because it ends in Hawbottom Branch rather than beginning there. It must be fed by some underground spring or else its part of the faerie magic that Surreybrooke evokes. . . .
This is the entrance to the Eclipse Garden. . . .
The vine at the entrance. . . .
Nancy is sharing her infinite knowledge about the flowers. . . .
Water plants fill the small basin of water. . . .
Nancy uses lots of concrete planters that she sells. . . .
Bees are visiting the cone flowers and salvia. . . .
Next we toured the children's garden. . . .
I love the many animal themed statuary. . . .
And faerie houses. . . .
We walked through the garden center to continue the tour. We'd go back later to do some shopping. . . .
There were more grounds to explore and tales to be told about the skunks and racoons. This is one of their ponds. . . .
Another unusual tree for Maryland. . . .
Nancy planted this Willow along the stream on the far side of the 20-acre property. . . .
A view through the trees up towards the house. . . .
The log cabin was originally built for one of their daughters but is rented out now. . . .
This recontructed log cabin houses miniature tea sets and other items for children. . . .
We were now heading up toward the original flower gardens. We passed the Spring House (on the left) where she makes candles. . . .
The walk through her perennial garden. . . .
Looking up at the first building that housed her dried flowers. . . .
A single poppy in the border. . . .
Looking down over the garden from this building. . . .
She is well-known for her container gardens. . . .
A clever use of dead stumps. . . .
I think Nancy has kept the local brick works company in business. She said years ago she could buy the "seconds" for fifty cents. . . .
Her first pavilion next to the house. . . .
A view into her back yard looking at the addition they built on to their 1863 brick house. This addition was a salvaged barn. . . .
Looking back at the garden from the other end. You can see their house in the distance. . .
Our picnic lunch was a perfect way to end our time together. There was a cool breeze. The views were phenomenal. Chris brought chicken salad, Edie brought the fruit salad. My contribution was the peach turnovers (wrapped in parchment paper). . . .
You can see more photos on my May 2014 post about Surreybrooke HERE. Be sure to check out the slide show on her website.
Here is a birds-eye view from Google Maps. The Pavilion is lower right, Eclipse Garden upper right, garden center upper middle, pond upper left, log cabin house lower left, house lower middle. . . .
These are the plants I bought. . . .
.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
The tour started at the Pavilion where we'd have our picnic afterwards. I'd brought along a tablecloth and had small pots of succulents for Edie and Chris from my garden so I was surprised to find the tables were already set with quilted tablecloths and pots of succulents! . . . .
It was a gorgeous, no-threat-of-thunderstorms day for a change. The views from the Pavilion. . . .
 |
| Large bush with white flowers in upper right corner: Sorbus |
Once the other people attending the tour arrived, Nancy began telling us about the special trees on the property. Edie took notes. These are just a few of the many trees Nancy has planted on their property: Evodia (known as the handkerchief tree), Trident Maple (doesn't get too big and has beautiful fall color), Weeping Redbud, American Ironwood (also called Parrotia, small with bright red leaves in autumn), Copper Beech, Paperbark Maple, Kentucky Coffee (said to be used by Confederates to make coffee when they ran out of the real thing), native Smoke Tree, Chinese Persimmon, deciduous Larch (Pseudo Larch), Blue Atlas Cedar. . . .
 |
| Silberling Pine |
We crossed this little stream that runs through the property. It is an offshoot from Hawbottom Branch, a stream that flows down off Gambrill Mountain. What makes it especially interesting is that this offshoot seems to flow in the wrong direction because it ends in Hawbottom Branch rather than beginning there. It must be fed by some underground spring or else its part of the faerie magic that Surreybrooke evokes. . . .
 |
| Chameleon Plant--a prolific ground cover |
This is the entrance to the Eclipse Garden. . . .
The vine at the entrance. . . .
Nancy is sharing her infinite knowledge about the flowers. . . .
Water plants fill the small basin of water. . . .
Nancy uses lots of concrete planters that she sells. . . .
Bees are visiting the cone flowers and salvia. . . .
 |
| Roses |
 |
| Stewartia pseudocamellia |
A shady bench in the center of the Eclipse garden. . . .
Looking over the fence into the Peter Rabbit Garden. That is the salad garden in the forefront. Behind the brick wall is the start of the Arborvitae Maze. . . .
I love the many animal themed statuary. . . .
And faerie houses. . . .
We walked through the garden center to continue the tour. We'd go back later to do some shopping. . . .
There were more grounds to explore and tales to be told about the skunks and racoons. This is one of their ponds. . . .
Another unusual tree for Maryland. . . .
 |
| Nutyens Tyrodian |
Nancy planted this Willow along the stream on the far side of the 20-acre property. . . .
A view through the trees up towards the house. . . .
The log cabin was originally built for one of their daughters but is rented out now. . . .
This recontructed log cabin houses miniature tea sets and other items for children. . . .
 |
| Clematis |
This salvaged log house is believed to date back to the 1700s. . . .
We were now heading up toward the original flower gardens. We passed the Spring House (on the left) where she makes candles. . . .
The walk through her perennial garden. . . .
Looking up at the first building that housed her dried flowers. . . .
A single poppy in the border. . . .
Looking down over the garden from this building. . . .
She is well-known for her container gardens. . . .
A clever use of dead stumps. . . .
I think Nancy has kept the local brick works company in business. She said years ago she could buy the "seconds" for fifty cents. . . .
Her first pavilion next to the house. . . .
A view into her back yard looking at the addition they built on to their 1863 brick house. This addition was a salvaged barn. . . .
Looking back at the garden from the other end. You can see their house in the distance. . .
This garden, through a hidden oasis, led us back to the Pavilion. . . .
Our picnic lunch was a perfect way to end our time together. There was a cool breeze. The views were phenomenal. Chris brought chicken salad, Edie brought the fruit salad. My contribution was the peach turnovers (wrapped in parchment paper). . . .
You can see more photos on my May 2014 post about Surreybrooke HERE. Be sure to check out the slide show on her website.
Here is a birds-eye view from Google Maps. The Pavilion is lower right, Eclipse Garden upper right, garden center upper middle, pond upper left, log cabin house lower left, house lower middle. . . .
These are the plants I bought. . . .
 |
| (left) Dark Blue Nierembergia, Lana Vintage Verbena, Betty Pink Bacopa; (right) Forever Blue Felicia (in the pot with Lobelia) |
.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
Take Joy!
What a spot! Nancy surely lives in the closest thing to the Garden of Eden that Planet Earth has right about now - no kidding. What a massive amount of work it must have taken to get it looking that way. I'm not only impressed with her garden, but with her energy! Think of all the time it took - not to mention elbow grease! Reminded me of all the time and effort my parents [Dad mostly] put into our property when I was a kid. Dad spent the better part of a decade of Springs, Summers and Falls transforming our 9 very overgrown and neglected acres into a small and very tidy park. He'd be very impressed with Nancy's place too now, I'm sure of that. PS - my Dad was ALWAYS bringing home things being discarded from sites he'd visit during the course of his workday. Half our terrace was built with "second-quality" bricks - LOL.
ReplyDeleteOnce Nancy's husband retired is when they started adding all the other buildings. For a long time, though, I think she maintained it mostly by herself. Later when her daughters were grown they helped out, too. Your childhood place sounds like our place! I worried sometimes that we spent too much time maintaining the grounds and not enough doing things with the boys. I'm afraid to ask them now because I don't want to know if the answer was yes!
DeleteWhat a magical place, Cathy. Your photos are lovely. I enjoyed seeing the children's garden pieces. The blue flowers you chose look happy in your containers. ♥
ReplyDeleteWatching Nancy "grow" Surreybrooke over the years has been magical, indeed!
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