An Enchanting Herb Garden on Cape Cod

We’re back from our first trip to the Cape, rested and inspired and, while the memory of all the beautiful places we’ve seen is still fresh, I’d like to share with you my favorite  – the herb garden at the Daniel Wing Jr. House (c. 1686) in Sandwich, MA – in the hopes that it will please & inspire you as much as it has me.  

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The Wing house is part of the Heritage Museums and Gardens as one of the oldest surviving houses in New England. (Sadly, the interiors were not open to the public. ) We toured the Heritage Gardens on Saturday, during the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, yet with all the beautiful hydrangeas, day lilies and rhododendron competing for our attention, it was this tiny herb garden that had my heart. Tucked away behind the Wing house, the herb garden felt peaceful and secluded, intoxicating even, filled with the sweet scent of elderberry. For a  brief moment I was alone in the garden, with only the butterflies (and the busy bees) for company, and I had a hard time walking away…

I did some research once we got to our hotel and found out that this tiny corner of heaven was designed by noted herb expert Susan Anthony, in the spirit of 18th-century herb gardens that were commonly found around houses of the time. The plants she chose were also inspired by kitchen gardens of centuries past, with plenty of herbs for medicinal, culinary and household uses. Crushed sea shell paths, a mill stone water feature, inviting benches and arbors, and pickets aged to beautiful patina… My pictures don’t do this space justice so, if you have the chance to visit in person, I highly recommend it. We were told there’s something of interest throughout the seasons. 

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