Mill Hill Garden Tour

     Mill Hill is a gentrified section of downtown Trenton, New Jersey.  The area got its name from Mahlon Stacy's mill located on the Assunpink Creek.  Stacy's mill, built in 1679, was the first industrial site in central New Jersey.  This area was undeveloped until the mid to late 1800s when Trenton underwent rapid industrialization.  Trenton began to decline during the Great Depression.  In the 1980s, a redevelopment plan began that aimed to preserve this historic area.  Today Mill Hill is a quiet, safe enclave within the city.  Street signs welcome visitors to the neighborhood "where people watch out for each other."  The Old Mill Society sponsors summer garden tours, December holiday tours, and numerous other activities.

     Many Mill Hill homes are attached, so visitors trooped through the houses to get to the gardens in the back.  Other back yards were accessed via two foot wide, gated passages between homes.  One lady allowed visitors free access to her fabulously renovated town home besides the visit to her unique back yard.  Many homeowners provided bottled water, iced tea, and yummy cookies.

An Urban Oasis

Several gardens on the tour had water features.  One homeowner expressed appreciation for the wild life that gardens attract, even for the rat that likes to hide under her waterfall!  Ah, city living.

This method of growing herbs inspires me.

Several homeowners incorporated bits of architecture from Trenton's past into their garden designs.

This compass design uses left over pieces from granite counter tops.

This gnome's abode is nestled in an enormous mass of tree roots.

This backyard couldn't be simpler or more eye catching - colorful containers sitting on compacted earth.

Mill Hill is for friendly people.  This shared alley connects the backyards of two attached houses.  The outdoor dining area made me feel like I was walking past a Parisian café. 

Another example of vertical gardening.

This backyard features a sunken garden.

What a grand, old home.

This home would win a prize for having the most inviting front porch. 

This was my favorite house in Mill Hill.