Reems Creek Nursery is a sponsor of the 2025 Montford Garden Tour, which was held on Saturday, June 7th. A beautiful, albeit muggy day, we wandered through the different gardens and wanted to share some of the different inspiration we found. Each garden had musicians and artists to round out the experience.
We HIGHLY recommend attending garden tours, they’re a wonderful way to get fresh new ideas, admire the creativity in our community, and say hello to friends new and old alike.
Pictured above is a wonderful seating area at The Tire-less Garden.
Note: Montford lost many trees due to Helene, which forced many gardeners to make some big changes to their gardens.
Agnes’s Playground Garden – The first garden we strolled through had this pretty front border! The home was surrounded with lush, well-tended grass, that invited you deeper into the space, with plenty of space for play (for dogs, children, the young at heart, etc.). The front porch was cute with the Clematis, chimes, and bird feeder. Musicians – found at every home on the tour – provided a wonderful accompaniment.
Pan’s Paradise Garden – This garden was PACKED with a huge diversity of plants, and was absolutely a pollinator paradise – bees could be seen enjoying some happy Salvia, despite the crowds of people everywhere. It was also packed with color. At every angle there was something beautiful and interesting – this is just one lovely view of many views in this outstanding yet compact garden. There were also small water features and wonderful (and unique) garden art. It was also proof that you don’t have to have a large space to make a big impact. Just walking up the front steps to the garden, the impression was WOW WOW WOW!
Surprise! Garden – It was starting to get warm and muggy, as we approached a grand old house surrounded by wonderfully mature trees. Wandering through the amazing grounds of this former inn, we found this lovely water garden. It was all very cooling and refreshing. There was also a large, beautiful gazebo filled with musicians. The grand scale – the large home, the large trees, the large rocks (at the pond, in low rock walls, in pathways, and other locations on the grounds), were extremely impressive. Excellent hardscaping will elevate any plantings.
Stairway to Heaven Garden – We sponsored this garden which had a pleasing combo of outdoor entertaining space combining wonderfully with outdoor plantings. A diverse front bed and charming patio area with other plants mingled throughout, the paths lead to the back where some musicians were playing for an appreciative audience in a fantastic outdoor space. Leaving an area framed by two gorgeous Japanese Maples, every bit of this location was wonderfully maintained and would be great for parties!
Hillside Creeper Garden – This was a very interesting and ambitious project. In just 3 years the owners completely overhauled this space to turn it into an enchanting Japanese Maple collection, complete with sculpting the ground and installing multiple french drains (a LOT of work!). They even had a helpful poster showing the changes, where they transformed a very basic and unexciting space into something with an exceptional future – once the Japanese Maple collection matures a bit this space will be absolutely jaw-dropping. Pictured here is not the main area, but I fell in love with the curving walkway and the plantings with a variety of colors, shapes, and textures. This garden will make you crave Japanese Maples, if you don’t already!
Then and Now Garden – Look at this gorgeous front bed! This beautiful front bed leads you around the home to a landscaped area around the back, complete with an excellent entertaining area. This new-ish garden was designed and installed pre-Helene, and then a large amount of the shade was lost in back when neighboring trees came down. The owners of the property are keeping an eye on the plantings, and will rearrange as they see what can tolerate the new sunniness, and what needs to be transplanted to shade elsewhere.
The Right Garden – This is the Carriage House behind the Wright Inn and we love the red foliage against the gray of the building here, and the window box planting brought some additional color and charm (better seen in real life vs this photo). Wouldn’t you love to sit in those chairs and enjoy a nice drink? The landscaping around the inn has lots of wonderful mature trees sheltering newer plantings and a spectacular fountain – bringing the element of sound to the garden via gently splashing water. The overall effect is very cooling and serene, even on muggy days.
The Tire-less Garden – This garden had so many wonderful views! Everywhere you looked, there was something really interesting to look at. This is also a great example of how to handle a sloped garden, something many of our customers struggle with, so please note the fantastic use of stones here contrasting with the the curving path on the right. This was a very fun and creative space, from a sweet moss garden to little containers in the driveway, to a cooling private-feeling retreat at the front of the house (1st picture in this post, with the red chairs for a pop of color). In this picture, you can see huge changes still happening to the neighboring property on the right, a reminder that there is still wonderful beauty to enjoy while clean up from Helene continues.
Keep an eye on our weekly newsletter for announcements of future Garden Tours!