just flowed. When the family first opened shop in 1978, Country Gardens of Rowley was serving up the usual fare of annuals, perennials, holiday plants, plus cut flowers. And that inventory hasn’t diminished: They still sell the full roster of garden center favorites. But behind the scenes, family members were cultivating a personal fascination for water gardens. Whenever they traveled, they slipped a few visits to gardens with fountains, waterfalls, and all things aquatic into the itinerary. Longwood Gardens, Lilypons Water Gardens, they saw them all. Given their penchant, it didn’t take long before Country Gardens began installing ponds at their 6-acre garden center. From there, water sort of seeped into their identity. From the early 1990s onward, Country Gardens became the foremost
