April 2013 – thewelldressedgarden.com

HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK: THE ETHERINGTON GARDEN

April 25, 2013/1 Comment/in Featured Gardens, Plants & Horticulture /by mturner

In celebration of the Garden Club of Virginia’s 80th Historic Garden Week, I’m giving sneak peaks at three special gardens on the Richmond tour. Susan Robertson, Laura Valentine and Moonie Etherington have created gardens that reflect their passions and personalities. The Robertson and Valentine gardens were on the Tuesday tour and the Etherington garden is on tour Thursday.

THE ETHERINGTON GARDEN

Moonie and Bill Etherington’s home sits high above the James River, the grounds gracefully sloping toward an outcropping of rock. Far below is the Philadelphia Quarry, now a private swimming club. Stone mined from the quarry was made into retaining walls that sweep across the lawn and form cozy enclosures overlooking the quarry. Moonie, a naturalist and plantswoman extraordinaire, has embraced this rural oasis in the city, creating gardens filled with native plants, which provide a playground for wildlife and her grandchildren.

Moonie’s garden is all about the plants. Each one has a story, each one is treated like a member of the family. A gentle and generous spirit, Moonie shares her plants with friends and strangers — anyone who she knows will love them as much as she does.

Moonie provides birdbaths, bird houses and plenty of food-bearing plants for her feathered friends. Just outside the kitchen door is a bird house that is as often inhabited by snakes as it is by birds.

The Pieris path, along the cobblestone walkway, was planted in 1984 in memory of Moonie’s mother, who loved Pieris japonica and Gardenia.

Moonie tucked Lewisia into the crevices of the rock. She told me that Lewisia is named for Meriweather Lewis because Lewis and Clark discovered it somewhere in Tennessee or Kentucky on their westward journey.

Here, fern fiddlers unfurl, while Lichen and Moss thrive in the cool shade.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) pop behind various native ferns in the woodland garden outside Moonie’s kitchen window.

The bed next to Moonie’s driveway is filled with gifts from special friends. Above, Bearded Iris have made a home in a rotted out stump. Below, are Margaret Bemiss’s special white violets. Moonie’s vigilance has saved the violets from many well-meaning weeders.

Moonie has a deal with the resident deer. She keeps the deer path clear for them, and they leave her spring-flowering shrubs alone. These include Kerria, Deutzia, Calycanthus, Pieris and Quince.

I love this Kerria. It has a single flower and variegated leaves.

The Kerria looks spectacular next to the Deutzia gracilis.

Variegated Weigelia (Weigelia variegatum).

I wonder if the deer have cocktails here when the Etheringtons aren’t looking.

Willie Brown gave Moonie this Moricandia arvensis (Chinese Temple Bells — aka the provocatively named Purple Mistress) when Moonie joined the James River Garden Club. Moonie collects the seeds from this woodland perennial and shares them with friends. She is going to give some to me to plant on Chapel Island. James River Park Manager Nathan Burrell and his team have cleared and built trails on the island and will be planting native woodland plants in a few weeks.

Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemosa) spills over the granite stone steps leading to the house.

Tucked under the shrubs are Trillium (above) and Woodland Poppies from Thomas Jefferson’s Tufton Farm.

Native Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) has spread under the Dogwood.

When the Etheringtons lost this tree on the edge of the quarry, they saved some of its wood to make stools for the grandkids, and left the stump in its memory.

This stunning Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina) was in full bloom last week. As I fretted over whether it would still be in its full glory during the garden tour, Moonie looked fondly at the tree and said, “well, it’s been a joy for me.”

So many women (and men) work countless hours to make Historic Garden Week a success, striving to provide the thousands of visitors a memorable tour of the beautiful houses and gardens. Moonie’s comment brought me back to what Garden Week is all about: celebrating the beauty of this verdant Commonwealth in which we live, and preserving and restoring what brings joy to us every day.

HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK: THE VALENTINE GARDEN

April 23, 2013/2 Comments/in Featured Gardens, Landscape Design, Plants & Horticulture /by mturner

In celebration of the Garden Club of Virginia’s 80th Historic Garden Week, I’m giving a sneak peak of three very special gardens on the Richmond tour by three talented women. Susan Robertson, Laura Valentine and Moonie Etherington have created gardens that reflect their passions and personalities. The Robertson and Valentine gardens are on the Tuesday tour and the Etherington garden is on the Thursday tour. Today, we visit the garden of Laura and Ned Valentine.

THE VALENTINE GARDEN

Laura’s sophisticated garden style has its roots in North Carolina. Growing up in Raleigh, some of her earliest memories are of her mother’s and grandmother’s gardens. Legendary southern garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence lived around the corner from Laura’s grandmother in Charlotte. When in Charlotte to see her grandmother, they would often visit Elizabeth Lawrence’s garden. While her mother and grandmother sipped brandy with Miss Lawrence, Laura and her sister wandered the garden, fascinated by the lily pads in her pond and the birds flying through the house.

Laura’s husband, Ned, was equally blessed, growing up with a mother who created, and tends, one of the most beautiful gardens in Richmond. Enter North Carolina landscape architect Chip Callaway, who had collaborated with Laura’s family in the past (I’m a huge fan). Laura brought Chip to Richmond to help her with the Valentines’ new garden. Chip appears to have masterfully harnessed these horticultural bloodlines, by creating, with Laura and Ned, a garden that any Tarheel or Wahoo would love.

Laura’s love of symmetry and restrained use of color are evident in the twin bluestone terraces that flank the main brick terrace.

The gardens are reminiscent of Italian Renaissance gardens — the gently sloping property has been transformed into several terraced planes.

Smilax, an evergreen vine popular in North Carolina, is trained in arches on the back of the house. A farmer near Wilson, North Carolina gave my husband’s cousin the Smilax that climbs our house.

Deer run rampant in this neighborhood bordering the James River. The trellised fence allows the Valentines to grow vegetables and roses and to espallier fruit trees. Derrick, who helps Laura maintain the grounds, has added netting to keep Peter Rabbit and his progeny away.

Apple trees are expertly espaliered on the fence.

Apple blossoms.

The garden currently is planted with cool season vegetables, including Chinese Cabbages, Chard, Kale, Spinach, Arugula, Escarole and Mustard. The garden is bordered on the inside with roses and the outside with peonies. While the peonies are all white, Laura got jiggy and introduced color with the roses.

I love the plant markers — written with chalk on pieces of slate. So practical and good looking.

This is a grove of Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum). I have never seen them trained as single-trunk trees — gorgeous!

Attention to detail extends even to the service entrance. The Ivy lattice wall is underplanted with Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) and bordered in clipped Boxwood. Laura’s grandmother planted Hellebores long before they hit the mainstream.

Chip and Laura make the most of veritcal opportunities. Here, Confederate Jasmine, about to bloom, blankets the pool fence.

Confederate Jasmine also frames the windows on the garage.

Camellia sasanqua are espaliered on the pool house wall, above, and in the entrance drive, below.

And one last beautiful example of vertical planting: Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subs. petiolaris) softens the wall above the pool house.

The pool, bordered by a spectacular Chindo Viburnum hedge (not pictured), is at the terminus of the property’s central axis.

Carter Skinner designed the stunning pool house.

The White Garden contains a central crushed stone path, with a sundial at its center. All of the flowering plants are white. An evergreen backbone of Camellia, Laurel, Boxwood, Chindo Viburnum and Holly is underplanted with Foxglove, Ferns, Variegated Solomon’s Seal, Dianthus and Bleeding Heart. Deciduous shrubs, including Doublefile Viburnum, Snowball Viburnum, Spirea, Pearl Bush, dwarf Butterfly Bush and Limelight Hydrangea are planted symmetrically and rhythmically along the path. Amazingly full-branched Hibiscus circle the sundial, and Dogwoods line the path.

Foxgloves bloom, while Autumn fern fronds unfurl, in the White Garden.

This terrace across the entrance drive from the front door exemplifies the Italianesque aesthetic that Laura loves, and that she and Chip perfected in the Valentines’ garden: consistent use of just a few elements throughout the property, such as the wrought iron bench and the Versaille planters overflowing with lush Boxwood; a strong evergreen backbone of sturdy Hollies, clipped Boxwood and espaliered Camellias; and the use of rich natural materials in beautifully laid — and oft repeated — patterns, such as the brick terrace here.

Alan Greenspan once warned us of irrational exuberance. Laura, Ned and Chip mastered rational exuberance, by allowing structure, form, texture and rich materials to take center stage in a brilliantly designed, and flawlessly executed and maintained landscape. Who says Tarheels and Cavaliers don’t mix?

HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK: THE ROBERTSON GARDEN

April 22, 2013/3 Comments/in Featured Gardens, Plants & Horticulture /by mturner

In celebration of the Garden Club of Virginia’s 80th Historic Garden Week, I’m giving a sneak peak of three very special gardens on the Richmond tour by three talented women. Susan Robertson, Laura Valentine and Moonie Etherington have created gardens that reflect their passions and personalities. This first blog post focuses on the the Robertsons’ garden. Tomorrow I will post a blog on the Valentines’ garden and Wednesday I will document the Etheringtons’ garden. The Robertson and Valentine gardens are on the Tuesday tour and the Etherington garden is on the Thursday tour.

THE ROBERTSON GARDEN

Susan and Walter Robertson’s beautiful spot of earth is nestled in the woodland that sits just above the historic Kanawha Canal. Susan loves nothing more than digging in her garden — weeding, planting, pruning — it really doesn’t matter, as long as she is surrounded by the plants she has nurtured and nourished over the years. Her yard is her laboratory, whether experimenting with different plant combinations or trying new pruning techniques. She’s generous with sharing her vast knowledge and the bounty of her garden. Susan’s mom, Page Fitchett, instilled in Susan and her sister Mary a love of gardening. Mary and Page will be in town to help arrange flowers in Susan’s house this week.

Akebia (Akebia quinata), a native vine, scampers up the front porch posts. A Passion Flower vine is growing in the urn.

A Robin takes a bath in the shade garden.

The pool used to be separated from the house by a fence. Susan and Walter reconfigured the space, moving the fence to the perimeter and adding broad steps leading directly to the pool.

The pool house has been a relaxing refuge for many friends and family (to my knowledge, George Washington did not sleep here).

The back porch of the pool house overlooks the backyard sloping toward the canal.

Stormwater drains from the terrace through the weep holes in the wall, then filters through the river rock and is absorbed by the water-loving hydrangeas. Capturing the storm water in the garden has the double benefit of channeling it toward plants who need it and preventing it from entering the river through drains.

Perennials and hydrangea will be blooming in the next few weeks in the pool garden.

It is so hard to find this classic pale lavender shade of Bearded Iris (Iris germanica) in the nurseries. I can’t promise I won’t come dig this up someday when nobody’s around.

Susan planted an herb garden just outside her kitchen. She uses crushed stone as a mulch to help keep the weeds at bay (the stones also make it easier to remove the weeds).

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) twines around the tuteur.

Nuff said.

No, this isn’t the 14th hole at Augusta — but hey, wouldn’t that be an entertaining challenge!

Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae) floats above the Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana, better known simply as Amsonia).

This is where Walter goes to be alone with his thoughts after the Nationals spank the Braves.

The sun casts long shadows across the sloping lawn.

The deer love the Robertsons’ yard. Most of the plants in their garden are deer resistant, but Susan can’t help planting a few beloved plants that are tasty to the deer. She is my go-to girl on the latest deer deterrents. She’s tried them all.