An Artistic Vision Comes Alive in This Garden

By Hannah Wente | Photography by Shanna Wolf

Brenda Hemenway started her garden in 1985 when her kids were young. She expresses herself through its many plantings, sculptures and family keepsakes — seamlessly blending the old with the new.

“I have a little bit of this and that,” Hemenway says. “I wanted to be an artist at one time. Gardening was a way I could still be artistic and change things, and no one could tell me what to do. It let me be free to be creative.”

She has an affinity for planting and tending multi-colored zinnias.

“Every year, I save, collect and share the seeds with everyone I know,” she says. “I have all different colors and kinds.” Various glass pieces on metal rods decorate her garden, creating a bejeweled look. The glass is grouped by color: white milk, cobalt blue, orange and maroon/cranberry.

“I started way back when Martha Stewart used cobalt blue bottles and vases to make bottle trees,” she says. “I get them from thrift stores and antique stores. They look great in the snow where there’s no foliage.”

Hemenway has monuments from her mother, grandparents and great-grandmother throughout her garden. Her favorite is a 1940s stone planter that used to sit on her grandmother’s front porch.

She contributes to the garden’s evolution by adding a new element each year.

“My personal motto has always been, ‘Be the change,’” she says. “It is my personal challenge to create a different experience in my yard each summer.”

Focus on Flowers

Hemenway’s garden has a vast variety of plantings.

• Hibiscus: These bloom in late summer into the fall and attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Its blooms can be as big as dinner plates and come in a variety of colors, including bright red and orange.
• Zinnias: In addition to sharing zinnia seeds with friends and family, Hemenway has also sold seeds to benefit local causes.
• Chinese astilbe: “I enjoy a large variety of astilbes because they bloom during different parts of [spring and summer], making my garden ever- changing,” says Hemenway.