Artemis Farm—Carol & Jesse Goldberg

Eighteen years ago, I dismantled an unused barn on our farm and designed a formal garden on the site. It has eight beds that were surrounded  by formal boxwood hedge that completely died.  I dug it all out and replaced it with a walking path. The garden is furnished with many nineteenth-century garden antiques. A large border garden has a sweeping view of the bucolic back pasture. A small intimate garden off the kitchen is the main summer eating area and a gravel stable courtyard has a trough garden complemented by more unusual pieces of stone and terra cotta. The front of our circa 1890 farmhouse, surrounded by maples, has primarily shade-loving plants. In 2003 we added a vegetable garden. A pergola-covered outdoor dining room was constructed off the living room of the house. In 2006, a new "secret garden" behind a barn was created from an area that was used for dumping garden debris. It has become a charming oasis with meandering paths, a seasonal stream, and predominantly shade plants. Our garden has been featured in numerous magazines. As I get older with less time and less help I decided to let my garden have free rein and let the bully plants win. I no longer divide or add but have learned to enjoy the survivors and to my surprise it is quite nice.