Both Charles and Margaret Spohr have died. They acquired the land originally, and designed as well as planted the gardens approximately 50 years ago that run from Fells Rd down to the Oyster Pond. They accomplished all this without financial support. Mrs. Spohr worked as a registered nurse, and Mr. Spohr, an engineer, was employed by the town of Falmouth.

The largest part of the Gardens--almost 6 acres--features hundreds of thousands of daffodil bulbs, and rhodendrons which are more than 40 years old. They are planted along and among naturalized paths on the hillside at the west end of Oyster Pond.

Mr. Spohr also collected anchors and some bells from large ships, and these are all on display in the Gardens. One is reputed to be from the H.M.S.Bounty. A Sea Education Association committee completed a study of this anchor in 2000.

Before their deaths, an addition to the Gardens on the other side of Fells Rd from the original section was completed by the Spohrs. This area is sunnier and used for a variety of daylillies, ferns, hostas, hollies and hydrangeas.

Besides the plantings, many birds (including the ruby-throated humming bird and the Baltimore Oriole) can be seen during the summer as well as swans and their cygnets. Several species of hawks and osprey are occasionally seen hunsting around or in the pond and snapping turtles sun themselves on rocks around it. family of relatively rare black squirrels is beginning to reside here. Raccoons, coyotes, and deer have also been noted.

In 1990, the Gardens were awarded the Silver Medal of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In 1993, the Spohrs themselves were given a Special Recognition Award by the Cape Cod Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The lovely site is ofen chosen during warm weather weekends for small wedding ceremonies which usually take place on the dock with guests standing about on nearby paths to watch and celebrate. There is adequate parking space provided for limousines and private cars. May through September, weddings are pre-registered with Mr. Kadis. None of these activities has been charged for until recently when wedding groups were asked to contribute a small sum to reimburse the Gardens because the grounds often need to be cleared afterwards by the Garden staff.

Only a small number of visitors to the Gardens, and tourists stop by during the week. However, few local Cape residents or organizations or schools know of the Garden's availability to them, and would benefit from specific information.

Sometimes landscape art classes paint here [the Falmouth Art Guild and the Cataumet Art Center]. These are adult students, some of whom are quite accomplished.

Funds from the Spohrs' wills are limited. The town has refused to assume financial responsibility for, or to purchase the Gardens because they are concerned about the cost for maintenance, although presently a basic staff of two is all that is hired to maintain a total of more than 6 fully-planted acres. No additional plant material has been added for several years.