Clarence Baker has spent more than 30 years transforming his Roxbury gardens into a peaceful respite full of surprises. Baker, 69, is a woodworker, gardener and maker. He collects junk and ancient farm equipment and transforms it into works of art that are carefully placed between his perennials: Two wheelbarrows are transformed into a human couple; a barrel becomes a pig; and metal odds and ends hang around a clump of flowers like a sculptural wind chime. His gardens of wonder include a working traffic light, a blue pond and a giant bell that sits atop scaffolding that Baker built.
Clarence’s wife, Violet, grew up with her family on this two-acre plot of land. The couple were childhood sweethearts who drifted apart and then came back together in their forties. She is endlessly surprised by Clarence’s new creations.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger met Clarence, Violet, their granddaughter Nasienie and their dog Taco. You can tour the Bakers’ gardens as part of the fourth annual Roxbury Garden Tour on June 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Filming date: 6/20/25
Music: Zachariah Hickman, “Future King of Heaven”