Spring edges in with grape hyacinths framing the beds, their purple blooms peeking out like little surprises. When summer hits, the peonies take the spotlight with their showy blossoms. We’ve lined the paths with rocks—not just to add a pop of color when everything else is sleeping under the snow, but to keep you on track, so there’s no tripping over.

Hostas take up the north edge, thriving in the cool shadow the house casts. This isn’t just a garden; it’s a buffer, a space that softly separates the hustle of our working courtyard, where the tractor hums to and from the shed, from the stillness of this shaded haven. The rock pathway is the line between here and the more untamed woodland garden to the west, and the long garden to the east.  It is a gentle border that keeps the worlds distinct.