Friday, October 25, 2024

Paxson Hill Farm, my last Philly Fling post

Paxson Hill Farm, my last post on the Philadelphia-area Garden Fling that happened back in September of 2023. Ya, it's been over a year and I'm finally wrapping up my coverage. This was the second to last stop for me (there were two buses that visited this garden and Mill Fleurs opposite each other). We got off the bus and had no clue what there was to see. Was it a nursery?





Or a garden?


Well there's a path, and we have an hour, so let's explore...


Oh my...

This place is huge!




One of my issues with "garden art" is when you are faced with multiple different styles, themes, materials, etc, all competing for your attention in a small space (gnomes, flowers made of old teacups and saucers on a spike, a wordy sign or two, a cement pig, and on...) but in this garden the different elements were all separated by so much space they were almost in their own worlds. 



I wish the basket for Life's Joys had been larger than...

...the basket for Life's Di ap  intme ts, but as I recall they were the same size.

Eve

And Adam. They stare at each other across the pathway, connected by a metal arbor.





Researching the garden after my visit I rediscovered Pam Penick's 2022 visit which she broke into a series of posts.

I missed so much during this visit!

Then again, I also managed to see a lot.

Word is that the nursery and garden are no longer open (here), so I am glad I got the chance to visit this fantastic collection of spaces.






This bridge was seriously scary, when you're all alone in a huge garden, in the rain, where every surface is slippery and you have no cell service. (I only occasionally ran into another person during my exploration, I had no idea where I was, or where they were most of the time) 



So delecate...




I knew I was back near the entrance now as I ran into a couple of other Flingers who were also moving fast, not wanting to miss the bus.

I didn't even get a chance to explore that side of the nursery!

While this post wraps up my Philly Fling coverage, I still have many posts to share from last summer's Garden Fling in the Puget Sound area... and next year's Fling is fast approaching! Memphis in June... more info here.

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14 comments:

  1. What a crazy start, just dive on in to explore. I was half expecting an old man or woman to pop up and chase you out, with their cane held over their head in a threatening manner! Sad to think no one can visit the garden anymore. Your photo of the white flower that looks like wet tissue paper is gorgeous. I love the view of the tree, with the purple draping flowers and pop of red in the background. *Sorry I can't ID anything properly!

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    1. My ID skills in a garden like this are somewhat lacking as well, but I think the white flower is an abutilon.

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  2. Well, you're right that the sheer size of the place prevents any feeling of being overwhelmed by the art pieces. I loved the hippo and would be thrilled to have those huge urns containing the equally large Cordylines in my garden (even if they'd be utterly out of scale in my garden). I found a brief article on its closure (dated February 2024), which indicated that the property was to be put up for sale.

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    1. I wonder if the art and containers and such were (or will be) put up for sale? Interesting.

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  3. Sue and I and a few other of my east coast friends were there a couple days before DC Fling. I don't think any of the group had been there as I recall so really didn't know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised to say the least. Way above expectations. Really a shame about the closure -maybe someone will rescue it from oblivion.

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    1. I'd forgotten you mentioned that, to get to tour this garden on my own timeline and in decent weather would be fun.

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  4. What a garden! I wonder what the story is on the closure. I hope someone will be maintaining it. I would be terrible to lose such a treasure.

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    1. I think it was an issue with a will not providing for the garden.

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    2. Oh, yes! A common problem with gardens such as this one.

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  5. As someone with an awful sense of direction, I could fully relate to your feeling of "I had no idea where I was, or where they were most of the time". Massive gardens, short time allowance and the fear of missing the bus puts a seriously heavy cloud over the joy of exploring a new garden.
    You may have missed a bunch, but still captured excellent photos on this rain drenched visit.
    Chavli

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    1. One of the people on our bus was lost in the maze as the bus was getting ready to leave. Luckily she had cell reception and another Flinger was able to find her. Lucky for me I didn't even see the maze, however I also don't think I'd have been tempted to enter.

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  6. Hmm. I actually liked the art deco, Metropolis feel of Eve and Adam, the sphinxes, and the reclaimed moongate. Very, very nice. I am also enjoying the look of the wooden walkways, but they get so slippery during winter wet. Shame on the closure. It feels like a lot of garden/nursery losses lately.

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  7. Wow, many thoughts! As we talked about when I saw you, the benefit of a bigger garden is to spread out one’s decorations. These are quite in a grand scale. I especially liked the moon gate and its story. I think joys and disappointments balance each other almost exactly in most ordinary lives. Some people have better fates or better luck. I wouldn’t have been able to cross that bridge, not even in sunshine nor when I was 20! An amazing garden, I wonder how a garden owner can decide to close such a place. I’m sure there is a good reason, and I will read your link about why now but didn’t want to click away to go there. Oh, Adam and Eve, at least in their case there was a good reason for the statues to be unclothed. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense ;-)

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  8. Dorothy DanielsonOctober 30, 2024

    Huge and Must take many People to Keep it! Would Like to go back a Look Deeper!

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