Lessons from the Garden
- jamesreddoch
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Finding Connection Close to Home
Small Things had the chance to sit down with Barbara Murphy. As she wraps up her work at the Mahoosuc Land Trust, we wanted to celebrate her accomplishments and hear a bit about lessons learned during a lifetime of gardening. Join us August 29 to hear more from Barbara. Register here for her talk “What We Have Learned in the Garden,” which kicks off the Mahoosuc Land Trust’s annual Monarch Festival the following day at Valentine Farm.
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Barbara Murphy’s path to gardening, and eventually her work at Mahoosuc Land Trust (MLT), began when she, as a young student, left suburban Florida for Sterling College in rural Vermont. There she encountered something entirely new: people tending livestock, working with their hands, and living closely with the land. “It was a revelation,” she recalls. “It shaped the entire course of my life.”
Barbara’s early experiences in farming led naturally into gardening, and she has rarely been without one since her mid-twenties. Today, she describes herself as “a vegetable grower first and an ornamental gardener second,” but, more importantly, she sees gardening as a path to a deeper understanding of the natural world. “Being able to grow plants and watch all the interactions that happen in a garden,” she says, “is a foundational experience.”
When Barbara joined MLT in 2017, Valentine Farm was still taking shape. “It was a brand new preserve with a wonderful trail, but not well known,” she remembers. “I’d walk it daily and wonder what could we add to draw people in?” The answer became the Habitat For All Garden - a space designed not just for beauty but for connection.
“I came to nature through gardening, not hiking, skiing, or traditional outdoor recreation,” says Barbara, “and I wanted to create an inviting opportunity for people like me.” To her, gardening gives people a chance to experience nature up close. It is accessible to anyone.
“Nature is right here—we just have to notice it. Those small, everyday moments in a garden are where our care for the natural world begins.”
Most importantly, gardening is the perfect complement to MLT’s land conservation efforts. “We’re still losing more habitat than we’re conserving,” she explains. “For conservation to succeed, people need to have hands-on opportunities to interact with and learn about the natural world.” And for Barbara, those hands-on experiences lead to empathy for the plants, insects, and wildlife around us.
For her, daily contact with nature, even in small ways, is transformative. In her own garden, Barbara finds wonder in the ordinary: a new bloom, a passing bird, a subtle shift in color or scent. “If I have a minute to slow down, I will see something new,” she says, “and that is something gardens make available for anyone. It helps us understand, even on a simple scale, what it takes to support life on this fragile planet.”
Though carefully managed by Barbara, her husband Mike, and a squad of volunteers, the garden at Valentine Farm feels natural and welcoming. It is a place where visitors can observe, learn, or simply sit quietly. For some, it is a first step toward a deeper relationship with nature. For others, it is a reminder that meaningful connection doesn’t require traveling far. “Nature is right here,” Barbara says. “We just have to notice it.”
As Barbara looks ahead, she has an important message for all of those who have been crucial in bringing her vision for the Habitat For All Garden to life: “Your contributions - even if they sometimes feel small - collectively have had a huge impact. You are essential to conservation in Western Maine and Eastern New Hampshire!”
And what is her message to the rest of us? “Whether it’s visiting the garden, tending plants, attending a workshop, or simply pausing to observe, each small interaction matters.” As Barbara Murphy sees it, those moments of connection—those “small things”—are where lasting care for the natural world begins.
Discover how gardening can transform the way we connect with nature 🌱
Join us in celebrating Barbara Murphy’s inspiring work at the Mahoosuc Land Trust and the Habitat For All Garden at Valentine Farm. Her story reminds us that even the smallest moments outdoors can spark a lifelong commitment to conservation.
📅 Don’t miss her talk on Saturday, August 29, kicking off the Monarch Festival!
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