Home Garden Tour

Join the Jersey Shore Chapter for a home garden tour at Skip and Angela Byrnes’ property in Freehold. Their property is covered in native perennials, trees, shrubs, grasses and vines. Gardens abound and lawn takes a back seat to the many unique native plantings throughout the yard and nestled within their woodlands.

Many of the showstoppers have been grown from seed by Skip, who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to propagating natives. Some favorites include Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), Hollow Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum), Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera semperviens), and Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).

Please RSVP here so we can provide you with the address and directions.

OUR GUIDES: Skip and Angela purchased their .8-acre property in autumn 2015, which housed some native oaks and cherries at the time, but few other natives. Their first chore was tackling the invasive species, such as multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle, mulberry, barberry, burning bush and Callery pear. Then they began planting natives, including Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), NJ Tea (Ceonothus americanus), Shrubby St. John’s Wort (Hypericum prolificum), Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescanthia ohiensis), Creeping Phox (Phlox subulata), Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) and Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia). They continue to add native species to attract wildlife.