HIDDEN IN HOPEWELL: Gardens large and small, from a compact courtyard to an 11-acre farm, are open to the public on Saturday, June 26 as part of the “Hidden Gardens of Hopewell” tour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

By Anne Levin

By day, Pascal Poussart and Adam Maloof work at Princeton University, where she directs the Office of Undergraduate Research and he is a professor of geosciences. But on weekends, they are busy trying to restore the health of Skinny Tree Farms, the former berry farm in Hopewell that they purchased nine years ago.

The farm is one of eight sites on the June 26 “Hidden Gardens of Hopewell” self-guided tour. The focus is on gardens, in and outside of the town, that are unfamiliar to most area residents and gardening enthusiasts. From a small courtyard garden behind a townhouse to the 11-acre expanse being nurtured by Poussart and Maloof, there is a range of styles, sizes, and landscapes to discover.

The couple chose the name “Skinny Tree Farms” for a reason.

“It used to be an old berry farm in the seventies, and about 90 percent of the trees that are around the property are ash,” said Poussart. “They are very young, and they are dying from the emerald ash borer. So we are moonlighting – we’re working on weekends trying to nurse them back to health.”

Over the past few years, Poussart and Maloof have planted thousands of small tree seedlings and native shrubs. They have established some wildflower meadows and orchards.

“We have fig trees and some nut trees,” Poussart said. “We have flowerbeds around the property. Starting last year, we established a flower farm, which we call the ‘flarm’ for short.”

It makes sense that the couple are so devoted to the land. “We both grew up surrounded by gardens,” Poussart said. “My mother was a gardener. My husband’s mother was as well. In fact, his parents moved to New Jersey a few years ago, but [previously] had been up in Maine. So every time they came to visit us, she’d dig up some of her plants and bring them down for us to plant. So now, when she comes, it’s like visiting old friends.”

The cut flower garden has inspired the couple to put up a little farm stand on Aunt Molly Road, at the bottom of their driveway. “We sell flowers, seedlings, and berries,” Poussart said. “It’s a way to share the bounty of the land.”

Tickets for the tour, which is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., are $25 in advance, or $30 the day of the event. All proceeds go directly to the Hopewell Public Library. Participants get a map showing how to visit each garden. Purchase at the library, 13 East Broad Street, or through PayPal. Visit redlibrary.org for details.