HOW TO FIND US?

Who are we anyway?

Back in 1983, Gail and I decided to begin a garden together in Shelburne, Vermont, a stone's throw from where the LaPlatte River enters Lake Champlain. The rented land was bordered by the river in one direction and by a series of incredible limestone and sedimentary rock cliffs on the other. The soil was clearly alluvial in nature, absurdly rich from being a barnyard for over a century, and the greatest soil one could ever ask for. We recall one of the owners commenting that the soil did have one major drawback: "You won't find any hoe knockers", he said, emphasizing the absence of  stones of any size or shape in the soil to bang your hoe against if it became encrusted with wet soil or weeds. Regardless of the comment we hired a tractor and rototiller, had the acreage tilled and began  our first business, Vermont Herb and Flower Farm.

In our horticultural evolution, that was certainly an interesting start. The name itself was a problem, in that it was easily transmuted to Vermont Urban Flower Farm and folks asked for a place no one ever heard of. At a time when even Vermont gardeners were rebuilding a serious curiosity about herbs, we began selling 50 varieties in 3 1/2" pots at the Burlington Farmers Market --hundreds and hundreds of them as well as cut flowers and potted perennials. We grew sweet pea flowers by the thousands, 9 foot delphiniums that we lopped off for the florist trade and snow peas for local restaurants at a time when most people still asked in amazement  "......and you eat the pod?"

A great deal has happened since those days...all very positive, interesting, laborious, rewarding and different. We left Shelburne and Burlington and moved  here to Marshfield, built a house, bought a beagle pup, had a baby, and began building Vermont Flower Farm....all that in three  years beginning in 1989. We decided to specialize in flowers which were important to us and to offer the best possible selections given our resources and available time.  Astilbes, daylilies, hostas and lilies topped the list and today our small nursery has one of the nicest collections in New England. We changed our business plan just a bit and have added more special  perennials geared to shade and woodland gardens. Our collections include ferns, heucheras, tiarellas, pulmonarias, hellebores, ligularias,  and cimicifugas which we are offering as supplies increase. We're very proud of our accomplishments and hope you will  either stop by for a visit or try our Virtual Garden Tour. Either way, welcome to Vermont Flower Farm!!

George, Gail and Alex Africa

Nursery Hours: Open every day, May 10 through Labor Day, 9-5 daily, and other times by chance or appointment. Need directions? Click “Find Us”

TRAVEL   DIRECTIONS

From Barre-Montpelier, Vermont. Take Rt 2 East through E. Montpelier, Plainfield to Marshfield.  Straight through village on Rt 2, up hill one mile (B&W State Directional Sign on right at top of hill) Take 1st right, Rt 232 South (across from Water Tower Farm--great horses--Alex takes lessons there!) Go exactly 3 miles to Peacham Pond Road on left. (Another B&W Vermont Flower Farm sign is on the right) Go down dirt road 1/3 mile. You're there!

From St Johnsbury & I-91 North. Take Rt 2 West through Danville, West Danville (Joe's Pond) then 9 miles to intersection of Rt2 and Rt 232 South, a left, across from Water Tower Farm--did we say nice horses? You will have passed a B&W Vermont Flower Farm sign 1/2 mile before farm and intersection. Then 3 miles up Rt 232 to Peacham Pond Road, a left. There's a Vermont Flower Farm sign on the right just before the turn. The road is marked with a green, local road sign. 1/3 mile down the dirt road. See the flowers!

From I-91 South, White River, Hanover, Norwich, Wells River. From I-91 North take Exit 17, Wells River. Left off ramp, past P&H Truck Stop on Rt 302. Continue 9 miles on Rt 302 through S. Ryegate,  then  Groton villageto intersection of Rt 302 and Rt232 North. Right onto RT232 North for about 11 miles. You're getting closer when you get to New Discovery State Park on the right--a very sharp corner, then ten more miles to B&W Vermont Flower Farm Sign on right. Road widens and curves, take next right, Peacham Pond Road. 1/3 mile down hill.

Please note: George isn't all that good with maps. He's been lost from Rockland, Maine to Anachortes, Washington. He recently purchased a GPS (global positioning system). Despite his navigational problems, he agrees that directions are a good thing. If you do not know how to get here and don't want to follow these directions, please remember this: Vermont Flower Farm is in Marshfield, not Peacham, Vermont. Peacham Pond and Peacham Pond Road are not quickly accessible from Peacham (the town) unless you are a crow. As a matter of fact, Peacham Village is about 9-10 miles away. Still confused? Call 802-426-3505.

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