My unlikely journey to a hidden sanctuary that shouldn't exist on earth

Описание: I'm Jay, I ask strangers if I can see their backyard. Reading a book can be an odd thing—it’s like having a conversation with a stranger, but it somehow transcends space and time. When I finished a book on hydrangeas and discovered the author lived just 90 minutes away, an idea sparked. I wasn’t sure if my plan would go anywhere, but I sent him an email anyway. As a complete stranger, I asked if I could pay him a visit—and to my surprise, he said yes.

This became a trip I know I’ll remember for years. On a humid July morning, I drove east along I-90, cutting through the passing thunderstorms, until I arrived at his property in the countryside. Hidden among those gentle, rolling hills, he had built a garden that redefined my imagination.

At first, everything seemed implausible. But I soon realized it wasn’t really about his astonishing collection of hydrangeas—it was about the power we discover on our voyage into the unknown. And when I learned the true drive behind his devotion, it surprised me, yet made perfect sense.

Some people might call his garden unattainable, and I can’t disagree. But I believe we all have the curiosity and determination that give us the implausible super power to turn the impossible into reality. Not just in those extraordinary hydrangeas, but in every monumental journey we choose to take.

This is Tim Boebel and his garden, located in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, USDA Zone 6.