From Garden to Gallery
Each May, the world seems to remember how to paint again.
Fresh greens return to the trees, flower beds begin testing their colors, birds move with renewed energy, and even the quiet corners of the yard seem to offer small compositions waiting to be noticed. For artists and photographers, spring is more than a change in weather — it is an invitation.
A single blossom can inspire a watercolor. A cluster of new leaves can become a study in light and shadow. A bird at the feeder, a garden path, or the first bloom beside the porch can spark the kind of image that eventually finds its way onto a wall, into a frame, or onto the front of a greeting card.
That is part of the beauty of art: it helps us pause long enough to see what was already there.
Sometimes the first gallery of the season is right outside the kitchen window.
Potential Day Trips for Inspiration or Just Plain Enjoyment
Despite years of being mesmerized by flowers and flowering trees, it wasn’t until 2025 we actually started seeking out locations to explore gardens for inspiration. Our first such membership came after a visit to Fuller Gardens in North Hampton, NH. You don’t have to join a garden to enjoy it. Many are open to the public with free admission while others charge a modest fee to spend a day seeking inspiration. Here is a list of the destinations on our list:
*Fuller Gardens, 10 Willow Ave, North Hampton, NH 03862
https://fullergardens.org/ (603) 964-5414
Tarbin Gardens, 321 Salisbury Rd, Franklin, NH 03235
http://www.tarbingardens.com/ (603) 934-3518
Kirkwood Gardens, 900 US-3, Holderness, NH 03245
https://www.nhnature.org/visit/kirkwood_gardens.php (603) 968-7194
Pleasant View Gardens, Inc., 7316 Pleasant St., Loudon, NH 03307
https://pwpvg.com/ (603) 435-8361
*Cider Hill Farm, 45 Fern Avenue, Amesbury, MA 01913
https://www.ciderhill.com/ (978) 388-5525
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, 11 French Dr, Boylston, MA 01505
http://www.nebg.org/ (508) 869-6111
*Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens,
105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay, Maine 04537
https://www.mainegardens.org/ (207) 633-8000
*Gardens we have personally visited and recommend