Johnson Delight

About

Surrounding an 1890s barn and carriage house which was part of the historic John Stewart farm and includes stone ruins from a mushroom house, the property has extensive NJ native planted meadows, a rain garden and a vernal pond and two “secret rooms” on two paths which wind through the meadows.

Working with David Hughes, Weatherwood Design, LLC, a registered landscape architect specializing in native plants, the project started in fall 2020. Large beds of pachysandra were hand-pulled and then smothered with newspapers and mulch starting in 2017 prior to engaging David.

In addition to removing pachysandra and vinca, the objective was to convert lawn to diverse natives which would support many pollinators. The pollinators would in turn attract a larger array of birds. It has been a huge success.

This garden's estimated size is .8 acre.

This Garden Host reports the following Terrain Notes about the garden: The property can be viewed by walking on a relatively flat lawn around the house which includes a brick courtyard with a step. The paths through the meadows are wood chips. Both of them involve climbing a hill, one of which is reasonably steep.

2026 Open Day Date: Saturday, September 12

Open Day Hours: 10am–4pm