Freeman Gardens, an unknown garden oasis nestled at the heart of a small town, offers an incredible collection of history and culture. Under Kevin Sherry’s direction as garden manager, Freeman Gardens has flourished into an attractive, buzzy, yet serene sanctuary where time stands still in an ever-evolving town.
Sherry and his volunteers are committed to keeping their garden current and appealing to visitors, maintaining it through continuous developments. “This is our labor of love,” Sherry states. “We try to make it an ever-evolving space.” This year for example, hybrid tea roses, floribundas, climbers will rebloom throughout summer as new Sunnycrest Gates from demolished local estates were restored and moved as tributes.
Freeman’s garden was originally designed by landscape architect Ethelbert Furlong, and boasts distinctive touches including formal rose beds, subtle level changes and a dolphin fountain at the rear of his property. But its most striking characteristic is the vibrant display of flowers: tulips, daffodils and fragrant lilacs bloom profusely while an old-fashioned bearded iris bed shines with color.
A stroll through a garden dotted with benches and picnic tables offers both relaxation and an education in gardening, an art that entails cultivating relationships between humans and plants. Raindrops play their part, as do colors blending seamlessly with fragrances, dreams, imagination and dreams; eventually all life comes to an end, yet its cycle continues onward.
Riddle’s gardens are an undiscovered oasis, hidden from public view but attracting admirers all the same. Her photographs have appeared in a number of publications – British edition of “Pure Style Outdoors,” chic German gardening magazine among them – but her greatest pleasure comes from watching how they develop thanks to dedicated volunteers working alongside an increasing community of enthusiasts.
According to NeighborhoodScout analysis, the Freemans Gardens/Vulcan neighborhood stands out with some unique characteristics. Residents here tend to live alone more frequently than most other neighborhoods across America and a higher proportion of its population has recently entered college; as a result, household income in this neighborhood falls slightly below national levels while less people commute daily than normal to work here.