FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — The Fort Fairfield Frontier Heritage Historical Society will present a summer garden show Saturday, July 25, from 12-4 p.m. The event will be held rain or shine and will showcase six local properties, including a vineyard and hop yard.
Other gardens will display items for purchase, along with a plant sale and light refreshments. The cost is $10 per person. A prize drawing will be held for a gift basket with local products and gift certificates.
According to the historical society, the proceeds from the show will be used for much needed repairs at the Blockhouse and Friends Church.
“It is so important to maintain these historical treasures and keep up on their maintenance. A new roof is needed for the Blockhouse and fundraising efforts will focus on that project along with others,” said Gloria Towle of the historical society. “We hope that you will treat yourselves to a summer afternoon enjoying the beautiful gardens of Fort Fairfield.”
The tour begins at noon with maps at The Bandstand in Fields Lane on Main Street, Fort Fairfield, with a stroll through the gardens surrounding the gazebo and town clock. Cool beverages and refreshments will be available.
The gardens of Jerry and Jessica Parady have been transformed over the past year. Having his own landscaping business, Jerry’s creativity is seen throughout the entire property. The front entrance welcomes visitors with his original designed log planters overflowing with annuals.
“You pass through towering lush Major Wheeler honeysuckle vines that take you into the private back gardens. There you will find more original birdhouses, a pine cone mulch garden, 12 different varieties of hostas, Jessica’s garden shed, miniature cedar table and chairs and lovely rock gardens bordering the entire area,” Towle said. Birdhouses and unique planters will be available.
The Hop Yard started in 2011 by founders Geoff Keating and Ryan Houghton with a plot in Fort Fairfield. Hops are perennial plants, growing nearly 20 feet tall on a massive trellis system that must be constructed in each field. Their main varieties (which create different flavors and smells for beer) are Cascade, Centennial, Nugget, Willamette and Sterling.
While hops were once a major crop in Maine over 100 years ago, The Hop Yard and other Maine farms have been fighting to revive the industry here as most of the crop is traditionally grown in the Pacific Northwest, Towle explained. The Hop Yard has imported a German hop picker, which will support a large increase in acreage over the coming years. Their goal is to see hundreds of acres of hops here in Maine, and to help enable many other farms to enter the market.
Armstrong Family Farms on the Currier Road was established in 2010 and is considered the largest vineyard in Maine. Their 60-acre farm has 6,000 grapevines and 1,600 fruit trees flourishing on the property. They sell 18- to 24-month-old grapevines, fruit trees and bushes, asparagus, strawberry, pepper and tomato plants at their Feathered Nest Gift Shop on Presque Isle Street, along with honey and maple syrup.
Another unique product at Armstrong Farms is their apple and cherry wood smoking chips, harvested and chipped on the farm, said Towle, which can be used to add flavor to grilled foods.
When Wayne & Pat Troicke decided to build their two-bedroom ranch house in the country, they made sure that their favorite perennials made the trip with them. The perennial gardens surround their home with blossoms and color from early spring to late fall. April and May tulips bring in the spring, then there are June irises, dianthus, azaleas, lilac, lupine and a few annuals, while July features hostas, daylilies, roses, coneflowers, phlox, astilbes and lilies bloom. In the fall asters, late phlox and autumn joy sedum finish the season.
“Come and take a stroll through the beautiful shade and wilderness gardens and see if you can guess their garden theme,” Towle commented.
The grounds at Eric and Margie Hunter’s span 5 acres and include 10 major perennial gardens in which can be found most of the plants which will grow in the area. There are two water lily ponds, an apple orchard, arboretum, interesting garden artifacts, a quaint garden house and fieldstone walks, all bordered by rolling lawns and mature trees with fields and woods beyond.
Some of the many plants and shrubs which will be in good bloom on July 25 include over 100 delphiniums, many clematis and roses, lilies, water lilies, daylilies, phlox, hosta, yarrow, hollyhocks, astilbe, perennial grasses, yarrow, ligularia, filipendula, thalictrum, poppies, veronica, daisies, big betony, hydrangeas, honeysuckle, and perhaps a few of the last late peonies. There will be roadside parking only here, please.
Tickets for the garden tour are available at Pat’s Sewing Room, One of a Kind Gifts, Fort Fairfield Library, Merchants on the Corner, Myrtle Tree, Sisters Bakery and the Bandstand the day of the tour. Call 227-0585 or 476-5093 for more information.
