A GARDEN GEM ALONG THE JAMES RIVER

/in , , , /by

THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA KICKS OFF THE RICHMOND TOUR WITH A GARDEN THAT MARRIES CLASSICAL PRINCIPLES AND A NATURAL SETTING

Martee and Charles Johnson graciously opened their home and garden for the Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week Tuesday, April 24.  Proceeds from Garden Week tours held throughout the Commonwealth this week are used to restore and preserve Virginia’s historic gardens.

The urns flanking the front door are planted simply with white Geranium, green and variegated Ivy and Ferns.

Camassia leichtlinii bulbs are just beginning to bloom.  Camassia, like almost all of the plants in the Johnsons’ gardens, are deer resistant.

Hatcher lives life in full blur.

Tuckahoe (you can call him Tucky) hasn’t been able to convince Hatcher that life is a marathon, not a sprint.

  The garden is a magnificent example of allowing the site to dictate the design.  Instead of heavily planting the garden with a riot of color, the Johnsons have used color judiciously, allowing the evergreen backbone to frame the breathtaking views of the James River and Williams Island beyond.

Landscape Architect Charles Gillette designed the original gardens, terracing the property and creating strong axial lines. The lower garden is dominated by a large terrace overlooking the river.  The upper terrace, random-width Bluestone bordered by a hedge of  Green Gem Boxwood (Buxus microphylla ‘Green Gem’), was designed by Charlottesville based Landscape Architect Charles Stick. Stick masterfully incorporated his own classically designed terraces, walkways and hedges  into the existing Gillette landscape.

The pierced brick wall softened by Ivy is a classic Gillette feature.

I love green mortar.

Under stormy skies the James River bisects Williams Island in front of the Johnsons’ home.

 

The strong evergreen backbone reinforces the formal layout of the walkways and terraces, but gives way to more naturalistic plantings, many native, closer to the river.

Brick paths pave the central axis and the primary paths closest to the house, but more informal crushed stone paths are used closer to the river. Peonies and Astilbes will be in full bloom in another week. More Camassia are just beginning to bloom.

Steps also become more naturalistic as paths travel toward the water.

This cobblestone wall is part of a massive stone retaining wall supporting the lower terrace.  The Annabelle Hydrangeas thrive on the embankment.

Mercury anchors the lower terrace. Catmint is just beginning to bloom, and Allium foliage is emerging.

Mercury is fleet of foot, but he can’t catch the CSX train.

This Rose arch leads to a Boxwood Parterre in the lower garden.

The new growth on the expertly clipped Boxwood (see recent blog entry on hedges) creates a tone on tone  effect in the Parterre.

Focal points abound in the Johnsons’ garden.  The bench and urns sit at the terminus of the Boxwood Parterre.

The monochromatic green background brings out the patina in this old urn.

Martee is known throughout Virginia for cultivating young talent.  She has showcased many artists and artisans, including Nicholai Jerome, who owns Spartan Metalwerks. He created  The Hand for Martee.

Martee says that three men can sit in The Hand!

The view from the Johnsons’ bedroom.  The glass panels upstairs and down slide open.

It’s time to go, to make way for the James River Garden Club women who will create gorgeous flower arrangements with cuttings from Martee’s and other members’ gardens.

JAMES RIVER GARDEN CLUB CREATES FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE JOHNSON HOME

Jenny and Noni get to work in the garage on a cold damp day.

Laura checks out the collection of cuttings.  The arrangements consist primarily of flowers and greens from members’ gardens.  Because the Tulips are spent after this crazy Spring, some Tulips were bought to supplement those grown in the gardens.

Katherine arranges Rhododendron.

Elizabeth and Deborah take advantage of a large mirror as a backdrop.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta and False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Liz works in the dining room.

Margaret pulls Peonies and Roses from the buckets.

Single Peonies (Paeonia, spp.), Arum (Arum italicum), Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis), Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Lilac (Syringa, spp.), Tulip

Laura takes cues from the painting that dominates the front hall.

Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis), Corsican Rose (Helleborus argutifolius), Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Camassia Leichtlinii (from Martee’s garden), Tulips and Roses

European Cranberrybush Viburnum (Viburnum opulus roseum) and Apples

Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)

Variegated Aucuba  (Aucuba japonica), Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) and Tulips

Lilac (Syringa, spp.), European Cranberrybush Viburnum (Viburnum opulus roseum) and Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemosa)

THE HEDGE: A CLASSICAL GARDEN ELEMENT

/0 Comments/in , /by

Hedges are a fundamental ingredient in classical gardens. In Gardens are for People, Thomas Church  wrote that hedges add “strength and style to a garden,” providing “a year-round fence, a separator of areas, a screen against the house next door, a stage setting for flowers, and a windscreen.”

 In the garden, above, the hedge provides continuity and definition.  Here,  the formal layout of the stepping stones, the manicured lawn and the closely cropped hedge are contrasted by the loose, lush greenery that the hedge restrains.

The Hedge in this Charleston garden is used to the same effect.  It repeats the straight line of the brick wall behind it.  The tree towering in the background provides  relief to the linear structure.

 

This Boxwood hedge in Princeton, New Jersey highlights and defines the random pattern Bluestone walkway and also provides the border for a perennial garden.

 

The diminutive hedge above reinforces the arc and jog shape of this lawn in Venice.

The hedge below is one of many hedges used to create rooms at Hinton Ampner in England.  The topiaried “columns” signal a gateway.

 Below are a few more photographs of the many and varied hedges at Hinton Ampner, a National Trust garden in Hampshire England.  The gardens were designed by Ralph Dutton, who was influenced by the legendary English landscape gardner William Robinson.

 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANT FOR THE RIGHT HEDGING SITUATION

I talked with Troy McGrew, an expert plantsman at Styer Landscaping in Richmond, Virginia, about his recommendations for growing healthy and beautiful hedges.  Here is his advice:

SMALL HEDGES are perfect when you want to create a knot garden, or define a parterre or other small bed. Four recommended by Troy:  Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Justin Brouwers’ (2 1/2 feet x 2 feet); Buxus sempervirens ‘Jensen’ (2 feet x 2 feet) (does not tolerate full Sun); Buxus microphylla var. japonica ‘Morris Midget’ (1 foot x 1 foot); and Buxus microphylla  ‘Green Pillow’ (1  1/2 feet x 1  1/2 feet).

The small clipped hedge above reinforces, but also softens, the strong line of the stucco retaining wall.

 

The small clipped hedge above creates an outstanding frame for the urns in this New Orleans garden.

 

The Boxwood hedge in the garden above defines the lawn, strengthens the horizontal plane of the porch, and provides unity by repeating the punctuating Boxwood in the planting bed, but in different form.

 

MEDIUM HEDGES are very useful to create backbone in a border, or to separate spaces without creating a closed-in wall.  For medium hedges, Troy recommends Buxus ‘Green Beauty’ (3 feet x 3 feet), Buxus ‘Green Mountain’ (more pyramidal, 4’ x 3’); and the variegated Buxus ‘Elegantissima’ (2 1/2 feet x 2 feet).

 The double hedges in this Charleston garden screen the drive without blocking the views from the piazza. The long lines of the hedges, punctuated by the tall cypresses, give the yard a very formal and architectural feel, but the aged irregular bluestone paving provides just enough of a casualness to give it a mellow vibe.

Villa Gamberaia in Italy is a perfect example of a classic Italian garden: minimal use of flowers and color, strong structural elements, frequent use of axes, and LOTS of hedges. As in the New Orleans photo above, Boxwood is used not only as a hedge, but as a repeated punctuation point.  Note the shorter hedges in front, the slightly taller hedge behind and surrounding the potted Lime Trees, the medium squared Boxwood hedge behind the trees, running parallel to the walks, and extremely tall hedge that acts as the wall for this giant outdoor room.

 

The Otto Luyken Laurel (just finished flowering) provides a backdrop for the terracotta pots on this terrace, and a separation from the lawn.

 

 TALL HEDGES are a wonderful way to screen a driveway or other large area and to use as walls when creating outdoor rooms or separation. The only Boxwood that is useful for a tall screen is Buxus sempervirens (American Boxwood), which, over time, will grow to 15 feet or more.  Other evergreens Troy recommends for tall hedges include: Prunus laurocerasus (English Laurel); Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ (Skip Laurel), Ligustrum lucidum and its cultivars, Osmanthus fragrans and many Hollies.

 

TROY’S TIPS ON TRAINING AND MAINTAINING HEDGES

 

  • Start pruning Boxwood when they are young, to promote thicker growth at the bottom of the plant.
  • “Pinch” or hand prune in late Winter to thin and open up the plant.  This allows light and air inside so that the plant can produce leaves along the interior surfaces.
  • Prune as needed in late Winter to maintain density and desired form.
  • Prune dead or diseased wood, straggly branches or long shoots whenever needed.
  • For formal “European” hedges, use hedgeclippers, Japanese shears or (my preference) hand pruners to shear the hedge in late Winter in order to maintain a desired shape or form. Shape as needed throughout the growing season, but do so no later than late Summer (pruning stimulates new growth, which may be damaged by early frosts).  Be aware that continuous shearing causes a thick outer shell of foliage that doesn’t allow light or air in.  If following a regular shearing practice, be sure to pinch (see above) the plant to allow light and air into the plant.

 

A fabulous source for most of the plants specified in this blog is Saunders Brothers Nursery, in Piney River, Virginia.  Colesville Nursery, Glen Allen Nursery and Sneed’s Nursery all carry Saunders Brothers plants.

 

GEORGIAN DOCKYARD IS A GARDEN GEM

/0 Comments/in , /by

We stumbled upon Nelson’s Dockyard while on Spring Break in Antiqua.

The Dockyard, known as  His Majesty’s Antigua Naval Yard, was built by British Admiral Horatio Nelson in the 18th Century.  It was the headquarters of the British  Leeward Islands Fleet until the mid-19th Century.

The Georgian buildings and lush grounds have been beautifully restored.

Everyone leaves their mark in this bar, which catches the breezes off the marina. The marina is host to the famous Antigua Sailing Week.

These Boat House pillars survived a hurricane in 1871, and now frame a sunken garden and the lawn surrounding the Admiral’s Inn dining terrace.

We had so much fun at the Dockyards, we decided to go back the next day — to see if the wine tasted better in the bar on the North side of the Dockyards.  To our surprise, we stumbled upon Prince Edward and Princess Sophie, heading out for the evening  after planting trees to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubiliee.  They were running late, so couldn’t sit down and share a glass with us.  Such a shame, they seemed like lots of fun.(Photo credit to Susan Robertson)

We moved on, and most definitely had more fun than the Royals, closing down The Admiral’s Inn.