The Salem Herbfarm

What does one do after an insanely stressful work week? Take half a day off and drive out to tranquil Salem, CT!
The Salem Herbfarm is on a gloriously historic farm that owner Anne inherited from her family (reaching back to 1915!) The moment you enter the farm, especially if you have the heart of a gardener, you’re going to find your cares melt away. They sell everything from perennials, annuals, of course herbs, to pots, fertilzers, and really beautiful, reasonably priced statuary and bird baths. I LOVE the old rustic twig looking gazebos on the property! There is a sunken garden. A bunny hutch (they had tiny babies when I visited yesterday-​so adorable!) Chickens, goats, an emu (?!) and cooing doves. The gift shop in the old barn is not to be missed-​if you enjoy making fairy gardens, this is the place to stock up on tiny garden furniture, structures and of course, fairy statues for it. Best of all-​owner Anne is beyond friendly & helpful! She even helped me find a black flowering plant for my witch’s garden that will tolerate shade (not as easy as that sounds!) I HIGHLY recommend a visit whether you’re looking to buy a particular plant or pot, or just want to wander around and get your zen back.

Psst, Connecticut. Unilocal is a thing and it’s not going away. You might as well get on the ball.
By that I mean that I am shocked – nay – floored by the fact that no one has yet reviewed this gardening gem. Tucked away on a little back road in the little back town of Salem, CT (and you always have to add the CT at the end, or people will assume you’re talking about that other one) this nursery is like an English kitchen garden dropped smack dab in the middle of nowhere.
Charm is the name of the game, here. Although they have a respectable selection of hardy, well-​tended plants (some flowers and veggies but mostly herbs because, hello, it’s in the name), it’s the ambiance that’s the real draw. A dovecote made of twisted vines houses… wait for it… doves. An Emu roams in the periphery, mingling with the chickens. A sunken lavender garden puts whatever you’ve got going at home to shame. And as a sucker for gift shops, this one’s a country gal’s delight, staged as it is inside a converted barn resplendent with hurricane jars full of dried flower heads and seed pods, baggies stuffed with pressed herbs, and bowls full of dyed egg shells. Not to mention your terracotta pot/​cookbook/​straw hat inventory that one would expect.
If you come from afar expecting some exotic plants for your conservatory, you will probably be disappointed. But if you are looking for an afternoon outing that will leave you feeling surprisingly refreshed and with a backseat full of mint plants for around $ 20, this is the place.