Freeman Gardens is an oasis of horticulture located at the center of town. Here visitors can relax and find peace among the lush flora, as well as find ways to express themselves through plants, and learn about its history and legacy.
Gardens are maintained by a small group of dedicated volunteers, such as former steeplechase champion Ron Ashenfelter who joined the organization in 1967 and continues to maintain the rose beds to this day. “We have about 12 or 13 regular volunteers who come on weekends,” according to Ron, “and then there are others who just drop by when they can.”
Freeman Gardens has long been a labor of love for all involved, from its members and volunteers to visitors like Kevin Sherry himself, who credits its success to their dedication. Over time, Freeman Gardens has evolved from an isolated space into one welcoming thousands of visitors every year; yet its development remains constant; Sherry and Ashenfelter devote countless hours working on new developments like creating rooms or enhancing features while building structures that draw inspiration from anywhere from Chanticleer garden in Philadelphia to Monet’s garden in Giverny when creating their masterpiece!
Sherry and Ashenfelter take great pride in the design of their garden, which they describe as formal but relaxed in feel. To create continuity by selecting plants with repeat blooming cycles each year and expanding on color palette. Sherry and Ashenfelter also emphasized using native species, honoring its historic past.
Spring flowers such as daffodils, hybrid tulips and lilacs tend to bloom early each year in gardens across Canada, although the garden doesn’t really come into full bloom until mid to late May when roses reach their full glory. Over summer nipple-tucked hydrangeas and lilyturfs begin flowering as summer progresses while fall brings with it chrysanthemums, mums and dahlias into play as main attractions.
Advolly Richmond resides in Shropshire, England, where she serves as Champion for Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Garden Media Guild membership. In addition to giving lectures on various subjects related to gardening history and contributing features to BBC Radio’s Gardeners World program, Advolly is currently writing a book about Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman who became known as an influential Victorian plant collector/botanist after choosing gardening over medicine and law careers as his chosen path to enlightenment.
