The side garden of the Hayne-Hamlin home features boxwoods, perennials, and a wide variety of herbs. Photos courtesy of Magali Images.
By Robinette Ross
"Herbs are our only living connection to past history.” – Don Haynie
The Eastern idiom, “The apple usually doesn’t fall far from the tree,” implies a continuity of family characteristics and sometimes a return to one’s home. Remarkably, the expression mirrors the lives of Tom Hamlin and Don Haynie, whose similar childhood experiences converged into a lifetime journey that embraced the lessons and values influenced by past generations.
Reflecting upon his childhood in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia, Don Haynie says he already knew at the young age of six that he loved horticulture. Observing the talents of his father, who restored old homes, and assisting his grandparents with their vegetable garden framed by flower-filled borders, Haynie’s family left an indelible imprint. All of these early experiences culminated in Haynie’s first job with a nearby florist.
A hundred miles south, Tom Hamlin was born and raised in the rural farming community of Surry, Virginia, home to rolling farmlands, water vistas, and a culture of preserving past traditions. Being immersed in history, farming, and the desirability of preserving the past left a lasting impression upon Hamlin, who also proclaims he swore he would never return to the region again.
Exterior front view of the Hayne-Hamlin home.
The Haynie and Hamlin partnership began nearly 50 years ago, when they opened a florist shop in Warsaw that operated for 24 years. During those years, a desire to vary flavors in their cooking created a small herb garden, eventually eclipsing their yard. Haying and Hamlin decided a country life, where they could cultivate the land and offer herb-related products, was their next mission. After visiting an eighteenth-century, 220-acre property in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, they found the ideal property. “Something about the spirit of the land here,” confirmed Haynie.
Throughout all civilizations and across many different cultures, fresh and dried herbs have been used for their medicinal values, decorations, and for enhancing the flavors of food or beverages. “There are all kinds of things you can do with herbs,” said Tom Hamlin. After purchasing the farm in 1989, the property was renamed Buffalo Springs Herb Farm, to commemorate an extinct, small wood bison that roamed the Shenandoah Valley.
Homeowners Tom Hamlin and Don Haynie.
Restoration projects began on the 1790 stone and brick farmhouse and barn, and all outbuildings; and included preparing for the cultivation of dozens of varying herb plants, theme gardens, and a nature trail. Two years later, the herb farm was opened to the public and soon became a destination for cooks and gardeners interested in workshops or programs on herbal lore, creating wreaths with everlastings (air-dried herbs and flowers), and cooking with herbs. Buffalo Springs Herb Farm was closed in 2007.
Recognizing the difficulty of too hurriedly transplanting deep roots from a beloved, cultivated farmland and community, Haynie and Hamlin chose to live part-time between the Shenandoah Valley and Williamsburg — a region where, as seedlings, their roots were first planted. In 2010, they purchased 12 Cole Lane, a property with its own history, beautifully nestled behind high hedges in Rich Neck Heights. The seven-bay Colonial Revival was built in 1957 for the family of Vernon Geddy, Jr. Like his father, Vernon Meredith Geddy, Sr., their lives were closely aligned through a lifetime law partnership and legacy of significant community involvement in the place they loved, Williamsburg, Virginia.
The front door leads to an entrance foyer featuring a stately grandfather clock.
Upon entry, Colonial-inspired decorations greet the guest at the front door. In the hallway, a tall-case clock from Wishawtown, Scotland, circa 1825, depicts Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns, at the plow. Showcased in the four corners are farming work scenes for each season — fall, winter, spring, and summer. Throughout the house, additional rooms are furnished with eighteenth-and nineteenth-century American and English antiques and reproductions. Antique Afghan and Asian rugs are visible throughout the home. Complementing every room are Hamlin’s collections, chosen because he liked them, not for value. One such collection, usually on display at Christmas, is a flock of “Putz” sheep. Other collections include Chinese export china, English porcelains and pewter, redware pottery, folk art, and French Quimper.
A selection of Quimper is one of several collections in the home.
Completing the backyard is a large herb garden interspersed with vintage ironworks and pottery. The adjacent two-story, detached garage is dedicated as a year-round workshop for supporting the planting, harvesting, and drying of herbs.
Today, Haynie and Hamlin actively work with other volunteers re-creating and maintaining historically accurate herb gardens within Colonial Williamsburg’s historic district. As honorary members of the Green Spring Garden Club, their Christmas arrangements have been present during countless Annual Christmas Homes Tours. For the first time, visitors to their home may view holiday decorations exclusively designed and created by Tom Hamlin and Don Haynie. Featured will be a holiday tree laden with a collection of exquisite vintage-glass ornaments accumulated over the years.
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” – Pericles, Greek statesman of Athens, 429 BC. Savoring thyme is a noble legacy for others to emulate.
An Invitation:
The 58th Annual Christmas Homes Tour will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2017, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Green Spring Garden Club, Inc., will present six tour homes. In Colonial Williamsburg are three historic homes, the Benjamin Waller House, the Edinburgh Castle Tavern and the Nelson-Galt House. The additional three homes are private residences located in nearby Walnut Hills, a neighborhood in the City of Williamsburg.
Ticket holders may ride designated shuttle buses between Colonial Williamsburg and the homes in Walnut Hills. Complimentary parking has been arranged at Walsingham Academy off Jamestown Road.