Visiting Fuller Gardens in New Hampshire

We visited Fuller Gardens in No. Hampton, NH last week to see all the roses in bloom. Fuller Gardens is a botanical garden located on the sea shore.

Fuller Gardens Tour

When I read that all the roses were blooming over at Fuller Gardens I knew I had to get over there as soon as possible! If you can believe it there are 1,500 rose bushes and 125 different varieties!!!! It’s just amazing!

Fuller Gardens is a botanical garden on the former estate of the Fuller family. Alvan Fuller was a Boston businessman who later became Governor of Massachusetts. He built the estate in the late 1920s as a summer home for his wife and family.

The original home is gone but the beautiful carriage house is still on the grounds and makes the backdrop for the gardens.

The gardens cover 3 acres and consist of formal rose gardens, English perennial beds, a Japanese garden a conservatory, plus beautiful fountains and sculptures.

It was like a movie walking through the garden gate and down the steps that lead you into the side garden.

Once you walk through the tunnel of trees it opens onto what they call the “side garden” which is a formal garden with rows and rows of the most amazing roses you have ever seen.

We visited on a Friday afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were only a few other people touring the gardens…

I’m sure that weekends are busier at Fuller Gardens and it was before the beach tourist season really kicks in around the coast.

…which meant that we could literally stop and smell all the roses!!

Lydia Fuller Bottomly Garden

This garden space is the newest part of the gardens and was created less than 20 years ago,

At the far end of the side garden hidden by a row of hedges is an entrance to the Lydia Fuller Bottomly Garden. It’s an open garden space also used as a wedding venue.

Oh, I would love to see a wedding here, it would be just such a perfect spot!

One of my favorite features of this garden was the reflecting pool and marble statue at the front.

You can hear the flowing sound of water as you are strolling about. There are fountains and small water features tucked in all over.

Japanese Garden

After being in the hot sun for a bit we were happy to duck into the Japanese Garden!

Once we passed the giant pots of hosta it was hard to believe we were still in New Hampshire! The garden path led you by unusual trees that provided welcome shade.

Honesty, I’m not even sure what kind of trees they were but I felt like I was in a different world!

In the center of the Japanese garden was a large pond surrounded by different species of trees and vegetation.

This was the perfect spot to rest before moving back into the sunshine.

Conservatory

Set between the space used for weddings and the large carriage house is the conservatory building. I wasn’t sure what would be inside but I couldn’t wait to find out!

One side of the building was covered by climbing red roses. Can we also mention just how perfect all the edging is throughout every space! I kept showing my husband “just look at how straight that is…” hoping he was taking notes!!

The conservatory is home to every type of succulent and cacti that you can imagine! I have never seen so many unusual plants in one place before…and most definitely have never seen all the strange cacti before!!

There were also lovely orchids in bloom.

Front Garden

The last space that we walked through is what they refer to as the Front Garden. It is closest to the road and you can see the ocean from here.

As much as I loved seeing the roses in the side garden, I think that this garden was my favorite space here. Of course, you will find more roses in the center part of the garden but they are surrounded by stone walking paths that are lined with perennial beds and a shrubs

We were lucky enough to catch a few of the peonies still in bloom. They are among my top 3 favorite flowers!

One thing that I read was that the Fullers brought back the garden statues and fountains on their frequent trips to Europe.

There are some magnificent pieces for the art lovers out there as well.

A fun feature was the secret garden pathways hidden by the tall shrubs around the perimeter of the front garden. You weren’t sure if they led anywhere by looking at them!

And after your visit to, be sure to walk across the street to see the adorable white chapel with a beautiful ocean view.

It’s the perfect spot to finish off your trip to Fuller Gardens.

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