Town Hall Gardens

Each spring the garden club fills the historic round horse trough with colorful annuals and places containers of flowers on the Town Hall front steps. Behind the building is a pretty little shade garden.

About the Gardens

Each spring the garden club fills the historic round horse trough with colorful annuals and, starting in 2014, places containers of flowers on the Town Hall front steps.

Behind the building is a pretty little shade, or “secret,” garden planted by the club in 2005. The club also edges and maintains the front beds to keep them looking tidy.

History of the Gardens

Beautifying Town Hall was one of the garden club’s first projects. The stately front lawn is a relatively new addition. Before the Town Hall was renovated in 2004, there was only a narrow strip of land between the building and the road.

Amherst Town Hall many decades ago

Granite coping was installed for foundation beds, and the garden club planted shrubs and a climbing hydrangea. The hydrangea vine was pretty but problematic. It clung to the bricks and threatened to take over the façade.

Horse Trough

Historic Horse Trough — In 2012 the Amherst Historical Society restored the round horse trough. Although the trough is capable of holding water, keeping it full was not practical, so the garden club has permission to plant it each spring. The original dedication plaque can be seen from the little private road.

Daffodils —In the 90’s, patches of ‘Ice Follies’ daffodils were planted in front of Town Hall and re-bloomed for many years without assistance. These bulbs were lost when the building was renovated, but by coincidence the same variety of daffodil was planted again in 2017.

Ice Follies Daffodils
Town Hall Beds

Front Beds — In 2019, the inkberries planted by the Town suffered winter-burn and were removed. The garden club replaced them with boxwoods, added a few more rose bushes, and took over care of the beds.

Shade Garden —The “pocket garden” in back was planted around 2005. There is always something blooming in this little shade garden, and it has a beautiful view of the cemetery. Occasionally a weed gets misplaced.

Shade Garden Perennials:

  • Aqualegia – blue & white
  • Alchemilla molis
  • Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’
  • Ferns
  • Hemerocallis – two varieties
  • Astilbe – tall white
  • Ligularia
Secret Garden

2020 Annuals

  • Yellow begonias – shade garden
  • Canna – horse trough and planters
  • SuperBells Calibrachoa ‘Lemon Slice’ – horse trough and planters
  • Supertunia ‘Priscilla’ – horse trough and planters
  • Sweet Alyssum ‘Dark Knight’ – horse trough and planters
  • Orange Supertunia – planters
  • Purple Basil – (horse trough and planters)


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