HISTORY OF BEDROCK GARDENS
Aging Nicely In Place
Photo taken about 1895.
The original farmhouse dates back to before 1800, with an unconfirmed date of 1740. It embodies many of the challenges typical of colonial construction, such as being situated too close to the road, having a rock foundation, horsehair plaster, hand-cut lath, and no insulation.
The post-and-beam barn was constructed around 1874, funded by compensation received after some of the farm's land was appropriated under the Eminent Domain Act of 1852 to create a railroad bed, which is now Route 125.
The property was cleared and operated as a dairy farm by the Piper family from 1845 to 1957. In 1980, Annie Piper sold the property to the current owner with just a handshake. The seventh generation of the Piper family still resides across the road.
The post-and-beam barn was constructed around 1874, funded by compensation received after some of the farm's land was appropriated under the Eminent Domain Act of 1852 to create a railroad bed, which is now Route 125.
The property was cleared and operated as a dairy farm by the Piper family from 1845 to 1957. In 1980, Annie Piper sold the property to the current owner with just a handshake. The seventh generation of the Piper family still resides across the road.
The house when we bought it, in 1980.
The garden includes many structural elements such as paths, an espaliered fence, an arborvitae hedge, architecturally interesting rocks, pergolas, and garden art. The beds have exceptional plant varieties, often started as seedlings, including many unusual specimens of perennials, trees and shrubs.
The property was a 37-acre dairy farm that had been abandoned for about 40 years. The initial years were dedicated to clearing the land of poison ivy and pucker-brush. Work on the farm as a landscaped project started about 1987. Nearly all of the work has been carried out by the two creators. They cleared the scrub growth and overgrown fields, established access roads, and managed the woods with guidance from foresters and arborists. Gradually, gardens were created bed by bed. In 1991, a wildlife pond was added, and in 1999, a family room was appended to the original house. Despite these additions, the original house and outbuildings, including a three-hole outhouse, remain intact. Today, about two-thirds of the property is garden.
The garden features numerous structural elements such as paths, an espaliered fence, an arborvitae hedge, architecturally interesting rocks, pergolas, and garden art. The beds boast exceptional plant varieties, often started as seedlings, including many unusual specimens of perennials, trees, and shrubs.
The property was a 37-acre dairy farm that had been abandoned for about 40 years. The initial years were dedicated to clearing the land of poison ivy and pucker-brush. Work on the farm as a landscaped project started about 1987. Nearly all of the work has been carried out by the two creators. They cleared the scrub growth and overgrown fields, established access roads, and managed the woods with guidance from foresters and arborists. Gradually, gardens were created bed by bed. In 1991, a wildlife pond was added, and in 1999, a family room was appended to the original house. Despite these additions, the original house and outbuildings, including a three-hole outhouse, remain intact. Today, about two-thirds of the property is garden.
The garden features numerous structural elements such as paths, an espaliered fence, an arborvitae hedge, architecturally interesting rocks, pergolas, and garden art. The beds boast exceptional plant varieties, often started as seedlings, including many unusual specimens of perennials, trees, and shrubs.
Noteworthy Features
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