The Lyman Hillside Garden

Nestled in a hillside next to a ravine, this garden is landscaped in a naturalistic manner among large weathered limestone and sandstone rocks added to the heavily sloped terrain. It features forsythia borders, dramatic ornamental grasses, and perennials (daylilies, yucca, black-eyed susans, irises) strategically placed around a waterfall cascading down the hill to a recirculating, reflecting pond. Started in combination with the 2008 long-term renovation of a 1920s Tudor home, the gardens were expanded when a new hillside garage was added in 2011. Excavation revealed numerous large stones that became the foundation for a waterfall. With an emphasis on sustainability and reduced maintenance, groundcovers (periwinkle, pachysandra, lamb’s ear, Artemisia, and Sedum) accent the gardens year-round.

The ravine and creek run alongside the house, patio, and garden, providing a dramatic backdrop to the garden with many mature evergreen and deciduous shade trees. The sunny hillside gardens were designed to provide a continual flow of blooming perennials from April through October. In mid-July visitors will find a prolific display of over 25 varieties of daylilies throughout the hillside and border gardens. This lush habitat makes a home for frogs, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, cardinals, robins, and the occasional deer, offering a hidden sanctuary for wildlife in this six-acre city lot.

Open Days 2021: Saturday, July 10
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.