While traveling through New Hampshire on the way back to New York from a garden visit in Maine, I came across a nursery that specializes in Japanese garden tree growing and trimming. The collection of plants, many of them substantial in their size, age, and beauty, populate the nursery.
In addition to the nursery, there is a large stroll garden onsite. Although designed with the intent of inspiring people to consider having their own garden built, the stroll garden in itself is a wonderful example of a traditional Japanese stroll garden similar in size and design quality to many of the larger botanic garden versions I have visited across the country.
What I enjoyed the most about the garden was that I could actually walk through its stone lined path. Many public gardens I visit only allow you to view such gardens from behind a fence, as a mere landscape. This garden was personal - I was able to experience the many twists and turns and changing scenes as I walked through. I have only rarely experienced this is North American public gardens, although more frequently in Japan. Having access to such an authentic experience at Shin-Boku made visiting the nursery/garden all the more worthwhile.
If interested in acquiring a large trees and looking for a landscape designer experienced in building Japanese style gardens, then you will want to consider Shin-Boku Nursery. If you want to experience an exhilarating walk through a stroll garden, then a visit is most definitely worthwhile.
Website: http://shin-bokunursery.com/
Photos: The images below follow the path of the garden from the start of the entrance to its end.
The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden is located in Seal Harbor, Maine. The garden was created between 1926 - 1930 as part of the Rockefeller estate by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and garden designer Beatrix Farrand. Abby was the wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr. In 2017 responsibility for the the garden was taken over by the (Mount Desert) Land & Garden Preserve. To visit the garden one has to purchase tickets via a reservation system (see the weblink below).
Website: https://www.gardenpreserve.org/abby-garden
The garden is a mix of East Asian elements, including Korean sculptures that are reminiscent of the Chinese Ming Dynasty tombs. Incredibly, the imperial-yellow tiled roofed walls are actually made from reclaimed tiles from the Forbidden City in China. Interestingly, Farrand had never been to Asia, and Aldrich only briefly visited for a few months. As a result, the garden is not a traditional Japanese, Chinese, or Korean garden. Instead, its a product of the time period in which it was conceived and a reflection of the interests of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.
The central feature of the garden is the grass-covered courtyard surrounded by flower beds. The plant selections are very beautiful, similar to the nearby Thuya Garden. The flowerbeds of the central courtyard, combined with the East Asian elements surrounding the courtyard, make the The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden a fusion of East and West.
Overall, the garden was well worth the visit. It is a garden unlike any other. If planning a visit, be sure to include time to visit the neighboring Thuya Garden (if you like flowerbeds) and the Asticou Azalea Garden (if you prefer to see a Japanese style stroll garden). Together, all three make for an excellent garden adventure.
Photos:
Along the "Spirt Path" with its Korean statuary:
The flower beds of the central courtyard:
Buddhist statuary:
Assorted features throughout the garden:
Frogs in a crystal clear pool:
Exiting the garden along the "Spirt Path":
