Nuthatch Gardens started as a dream…
So what do we do here at Nuthatch Gardens?
…I wanted to create a space where I could grow heaps of flowers, welcome people to the garden to immerse themselves in the constantly changing beauty of an evolving garden and the emotionally restoring embrace of nature. But this dream also grew out of personal tragedy during the pandemic and a growing need to walk away from the grind of the desk job and ever-present screens, and a desire to have the great outdoors be a part of every day of my daughters’ lives.
And why did we call it “Nuthatch Gardens”?
So here we are, figuring it out one crazy endeavor at a time…
When my older daughter, then 9 years old, arrived here at the farm, she walked down to explore the creek that runs through the property. When she came back, on that first day here, she said “Mom, I need hip-high waders!” Music to my ears.
My younger daughter, our resident “Swiftie“, goes outside on a blustery day to sing her favorite songs to the grasses, wildflowers, and birds in the field. It really is magical here.
Growing flowers is only part of what we do (if a very big part!). We have goats, chickens, bunnies, and cats. We are avid birders, and love seeing the Baltimore orioles and blue-gray gnatcatchers among the more stalwart residents (nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, song sparrows, and a motley collection of woodpeckers). We raise monarch butterflies. We explore the creek and our trails. And we enthusiastically welcome visitors!
My mom, who was such a huge part of my life, passed away from pancreatic cancer in December 2020. It was rough, coming on the heels of my dad’s passing in November 2020. Suffice it to say that all of this tragedy was tremendously life-altering, and really gave me the push to take some pretty terrific-sized risks. Life is so short, and dreams cannot wait until retirement. My mom was an incredibly productive and practical woman — embodied for any bird watcher as a nuthatch. So shortly after arriving here, I knew what we would name this place: Nuthatch Gardens. As much as I am on this crazy, unconventional path pursuing this dream with my girls, I also need and embrace her spirit, her ceaseless energy, and her practical sensibility. I need the nuthatch in Nuthatch Gardens.
My impatience sometimes gets the best of me — planning ever so many projects and stretching the limits of time (and meanwhile somehow acquiring more and more animals). But it is also just so worth it, every day. The girls’ adventures, the getting my hands dirty in the garden, the ever-present wildlife (indigo buntings and Baltimore orioles! woodchucks and river otters!)… the magical old cherry tree that gave us the sweetest, fattest cherries… the pair of great blue herons over the horse paddock… the adventure and education of restoring the historic bank barn… the beauty and sweat of loving a 1790s farmhouse and a mid-1800s barn… and finding more and more nooks and crannies in which I can dive into growing more and more flowers… All of it, even when punctuated by craziness and schedules and rushing to plant or weed or harvest, all of it is still very much a beautiful dream… We invite you to come be a part of it!