Change of Plans

The garden wasn’t initially the focus when Marcia and Bob Simmons purchased Reed Creek Farm, a farmstead off the Chester River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, in 1996. Their plan was to turn the main house, a brick Georgian mansion built in 1775, along with the guesthouse and hunter’s lodge, into a bed-and-breakfast for sailors.

But when Marcia, who had cancer but was in remission, was diagnosed with a recurrence two years later, the couple decided to pour their energy into a more meaningful project: creating a formal, English-style garden that would honor both the house’s architectural vernacular and Marcia.

Shown here: The beauty of Reed Creek Farm includes an extensive row of native tupelo trees leading to the main house.

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