The Garden

The Society is working to restore the Garden of the John Paul Jones House to Samuel Lord’s 1859 diagram of the landscape. The pathways were recreated in the fall of 2004 with the proper foundation and top layer of clamshells... Sod taken from the pathway was placed near the foundation of the house. Overgrown bushes and old yew trees have been removed or trimmed. The 1,000 tulip bulbs planted then are now a lovely frame of color for the lawn.

In June 2005, a crew from Urban Tree Service donated their time to take down a dead 20-foot tree adjacent to the Middle Street front gate In its place, a 10-foot lilac complements two white lilacs — “Agnes Smith” and “Anna Amhoff” named for past Presidents of the Portsmouth Garden Club and cultivated at UNH by Professor Owen Rogers — donated by the Portsmouth Garden Club and planted along with a dwarf apple and cherry tree. We are also hoping that historic lilacs from the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion will take root. The memorial garden was replanted with several varieties of herbs.

Our gardens are a community effort. Thanks to the many businesses, the City, the Navy, Portsmouth Garden Club, UNH PrOVES, Forestry Center, Tree Stewards and Board members who volunteer their time month after month to keep our gardens beautiful.