Last weekend, my husband Mart and I and our dog stayed in a rental cabin in a mountain community about ninety minutes from home. On Sunday morning, we left our dog in his crate, sleeping soundly (his favorite thing), and headed to Gibbs Gardens, about 10 minutes away.
We entered the garden properly masked and appropriately distant from everyone else and headed straight for the Japanese Garden. It’s our favorite setting at Gibbs in the fall. We knew from a recent email that the Japanese maples’ leaves had started turning colors, and we wanted to see them with our own eyes.
These yellow leaves were tipped with a fiery orange.
The gardens and the Manor House, where the Gibbs family actually lives, comprise 220 acres. There are 16 gardens total. In addition to the one at the Manor House, there are two other featured gardens: the Waterlily Garden, complete with a Monet-inspired bridge and pond, and the Japanese Garden, serene and shady.
In addition to the maples, I’m always drawn to the weeping willow.
When I was little, the yard directly across the street from us had a weeping willow in it. Its thin, graceful branches almost touching the ground, it looked magical to me. I wanted to play under it, but it was across the street—a very busy street—and I was too little to cross it. And besides, Mr. Keith was not particularly friendly. (Maybe that’s why the willow was weeping.)
No matter how old I get, when I see this tree, I can’t help but think of a woman in a long green dress with long sleeves and long hair—all of it swaying gently with the slightest bit of wind.
Jim Gibbs, owner of the gardens, is the retired president and founder of Gibbs Landscape Company, an award-winning landscape company for more than 40 years. He embodies this quote by William Kent: "Garden as though you will live forever." I for one am glad that Jim Gibbs does so.
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Just a reminder that my shop is open. Three note cards designs are currently available, including “Fall” below. The Christmas card will be launching in a couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for it. It’s just gorgeous. They all are. Check them out here! You can pay by PayPal, Venmo, and personal check.
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