By the time spring rolled around, it became clear that the 2022 Christmas freeze wreaked a silent apocalypse on the city’s shrubbery. Yards once adorned with grand hydrangea bushes, stately fruit trees and magnificent magnolias had been left shriveled, brown and sad. I stumbled upon JVI Secret Gardens while trying to replace some of what we lost, and found a nice variety of native foliage you can’t find at big-box retailers, including more established trees and shrubs (which are more likely to survive the shock of transplant or a harsh winter). Feeling overwhelmed? Head to the back of the property, plop down on a bench and zen out amid the displays of waterfalls, Japanese gardens and lazy koi ponds.
