Gardens in Meriden
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Meanwhile, we had moved back east, and back to where my American life had begun, to the Upper Valley where Tim was now Headmaster at Kimball Union Academy. Once again, we were living in a beautiful school-owned house, this time at the top of the hill in Meriden, in a lovely Greek-revival building. The children were now older (our youngest was 8 when we arrived in 1989) and I was working full-time as Communications Director, as well as doing the standard head’s wife business of entertaining. My gardening time was very early in the mornings or at weekends. But with a lovely old stone wall leading up to the front of the house, there were such opportunities for a long perennial border. How could I resist? It was a chance to try color patterns, to create a long bed with bloom throughout the seasons. As our house was again a place for entertaining, I focused flowering times especially on graduation in the spring and the return of students in late summer. Receptions took place by my garden and I learned to grit my teeth and say nothing when photographers told the graduates and their families to stand in the middle of a flower bed for that perfect picture!
The son of a friend had learned stone-wall building in Scotland, and he created herb beds in a semi-circle by the house. With an urn in the middle of the radiating beds, I coated the stones with thyme, lined the edges with chives and filled the centers with taller herbs like oregano, parsley and tarragon. Silver foliage herbs like the curry plant gave variety and the effect was somehow a raised version of a 17th century kitchen garden. My second New Hampshire garden was definitely more ambitious than my first!
Fourteen years later we retired to Grantham, where we planned to spend our fall and winter months. Our plan was to go to Wales for the spring and summer. But somehow there still had to be some garden around our Eastman house – there were so many plants in Meriden that could be divided and brought with us. A sunny strip down by Mill Pond below the house was the perfect place, so another bed took shape. And, of course, since then areas nearer the house itself have needed some planting… Luckily I had found a friend in Cindy Heath who promised to spend a day or two keeping the worst of the weeds at bay when I was abroad. So I have now become an expert at knowing which plants will thrive in this area, but not take over completely when they are seriously neglected for much of the growing season!
The son of a friend had learned stone-wall building in Scotland, and he created herb beds in a semi-circle by the house. With an urn in the middle of the radiating beds, I coated the stones with thyme, lined the edges with chives and filled the centers with taller herbs like oregano, parsley and tarragon. Silver foliage herbs like the curry plant gave variety and the effect was somehow a raised version of a 17th century kitchen garden. My second New Hampshire garden was definitely more ambitious than my first!
Fourteen years later we retired to Grantham, where we planned to spend our fall and winter months. Our plan was to go to Wales for the spring and summer. But somehow there still had to be some garden around our Eastman house – there were so many plants in Meriden that could be divided and brought with us. A sunny strip down by Mill Pond below the house was the perfect place, so another bed took shape. And, of course, since then areas nearer the house itself have needed some planting… Luckily I had found a friend in Cindy Heath who promised to spend a day or two keeping the worst of the weeds at bay when I was abroad. So I have now become an expert at knowing which plants will thrive in this area, but not take over completely when they are seriously neglected for much of the growing season!
View of Mill Pond from Liz's Grantham home