Gardens aren't built—they are grown. Bluffside Gardens is no different. When you visit us, you'll see a landscape that's just beginning to take shape. It will take decades for trees to mature and collections of plants to sort themselves into thriving communities. We invite you to be a part of this slow unfolding. Every time you visit, you're guaranteed to see something new. From season to season and year to year, the garden will continue to change, evolve, and expand, and your choice to stay with us is an integral part of making that happen.

This upcoming year, you'll see the Redbud Courtyard is well on its way, with many trees and shrubs in place, and a crop of annual poppies and other wildflowers holding the soil and suppressing weeds while slow-growing perennials build their roots and prepare themselves for next year's floral show. Throughout the summer, we'll be bringing in new plants as we carefully curate the courtyard's botanical collection. Even at this early stage, we expect the central lawn to be a cozy place to throw out a blanket and relax.

As summer gets underway, you may see the Event Lawn beginning to take shape and earthmoving deeper in the site. As these landforms are established we'll begin to replace the invasive species that dominated this portion of the property with native hardwoods to provide canopy and structure. Once the grass is growing on the lawn and looking healthy, you are welcome to take advantage of this broad green as a place to run and play.

As fall approaches, expect to see more activity on the western edge of the property. There, annual grasses have been protecting the soil in anticipation of future wildflower plantings. Once the days shorten and cold sets in, we'll be mowing these slopes and seeding them with colorful swathes of native prairie plantings. The seeds will appreciate the cold blanket of snow, and begin sprouting next spring. The following year, Bluffside Gardens will continue to grow, as new garden spaces are built out incrementally, including the Kitchen Garden, ponds, Permaculture Garden, and Forager's Trail. Expect to see other trails start to take shape throughout the property as we restore the forest. 

Our long-term vision is to create 10 acres of courtyards, gardens, forests, and meadows to wander through. Join us on the journey toward making that vision a reality.