A seaside garden on New Hampshire's coast

I’m a little bit ashamed to say that in all the years I’ve lived in New Hampshire—with 6 of them spent living on the seacoast (more if I include my college years)—I’ve never visited Fuller Gardens in North Hampton, New Hampshire. A recent visit with a friend provided the wonderful opportunity to visit, and I’ll definitely be back to experiment with light and lenses.

Tucked amidst some gorgeous (and ginormous) estates in North Hampton that overlook the Atlantic Ocean, Fuller Gardens is an absolute treat for the senses. From the smells of the salt water to the vibrant colors of the flowers to the cool ocean breeze, a visit to the gardens is sure to delight. We arrived shortly before 4 p.m., giving us plenty of time to explore the three acres before closing time at 5:30 p.m. We grabbed our cameras, paid our admission fee ($9/pp), meandered, and took it all in.

Fuller Gardens dates back to 1927, when business man and former Massachusetts governor Alvan T. Fuller commissioned its creation behind his summer estate, Runnymede-by-the-Sea. While the estate no longer exists, its beautiful gardens remain, having been opened to the public in 1961.

With its separate spaces, Fuller Gardens has something for everyone. Want more than 125 different varieties of roses? A stunning dahlia display garden? A calm and serene Japanese garden, complete with a koi pond? A conservatory housing hundreds of succulents and tropical varieties? Gorgeous fountains and statuary? It’s all there at Fuller Gardens. So much to see in this hidden treasure of a place.

I certainly appreciated the side garden with its gorgeous roses, the front garden with is meticulously landscaped layout and perennials, and the Japanese gardens with its calm, serene feel among the trees and sounds of flowing water. However, I kept gravitating toward two of the spaces in particular: the conservatory and the dahlia display garden. The two could not have been more different. Inside the steamy conservatory were succulents and varieties of cacti as well as hundreds of other tropical plants—including a very cool looking pitcher plant, a kind of carnivorous plant that traps prey with its unique structure. So cool.

The dahlia display garden, adjacent to the conservatory, could not be more different. Hundreds of dahlias, reaching upward toward the sky, spiky flowers of all different colors—what a sight. And how’s this for a fun fact: the National Garden Bureau has declared 2019 the Year of the Dahlia. Who knew? Also, the dahlia is the national flower of Mexico. These flowers are absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t wait to return for more photos. And I should be in luck, as according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, dahlias “bloom from midsummer right through the first frost when many other plants are past their best.” (UPDATE 6/2020): I was just made aware of this great post on Happy DIY Home about storing dahlia bulbs; since dahlias aren’t fans of cold weather and won’t last once frost sets in, the article points out ways to dig up the bulbs and store them over the winter before replanting them again. So cool!

Fuller Gardens is an absolute treat for the senses; the gardens are open daily to the public, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., from mid-May through mid-October. Whether you spend an hour or three, you won’t be disappointed! Take in the gardens, hop across the street to enjoy the gorgeous Atlantic, and then visit the Beach Plum for a lobster roll or ice cream—or both!

If you go…
Fuller Gardens: 10 Willow Avenue, No. Hampton, NH
www.fullergardens.org