I
moved to Hampstead with my family in 2006. The idea was to
be in more peaceful environs but close enough to still be
convenient to Wilmington where my wife and I own and operate
Prima Day Spa. I
had been fortunate enough to find a home with a decent sized
parcel of land off Hwy. 210 West. I pride myself in being
pretty good about knowing my surroundings but as it turned
out, it would be several months before I found a wondrous
place that lay secluded in the woods some 150 yards or so
behind my home. I had walked the dirt roads that were blocked
off behind my land and I found a large wooded plot that was
fenced in. It had occurred to me that there must be quite
an estate within this property belted by a stand of tall trees
interrupted only by a sturdy double gate that opened to a
winding private road, disappearing into a lush forest. I imagined
that the owners must feel quite fortunate to have such a special
and secluded homestead. Being the curious sort, I really wanted
to know more about this place but it would be some time before
I ventured in.
Finally
a neighbor informed me that he knew a man that had bought
some trees form the owners of this land and that it was quite
a place. Well as it turned out, I was in store for an awesome
spectacle that was created by a local couple who took tree
farming to one of it's higher forms; the cultivation and propagation
of Japanese Maples. The Ash's tree farm, owned and operated
by Thomas and Nancy Ash, spreads over 11 acres and grows some
of the most beautiful and ornate trees to grace the lawns
and gardens of many a proud property owner for miles around.
by
J. Saucier
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