January in New Orleans offers Camelias, live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and the anticipation of Mardi Gras season. A walk through the Garden District with grand houses and mossy green balustrades gives a peak of the garden challenges in this area. In my garden every drop of water is precious and purposely placed, here water is in the air, and preventing overgrowth is part of gardening. One must pull out, cut back, lift up, so the chosen plants are allowed to see the sun.
Category: Southeast Region, US
Longue Vue House and Garden
The Longue Vue House and Garden, New Orleans, LA, built in 1942, by Edgar & Edith Stern is a masterwork of design. Every room in the house looks out on a perfectly placed scene in the garden. Imagine having the foresight and the resources to set your home on the land in such a way that every window offers a connection to the garden looking out on a painting done with plants. Ellen Biddle Shipman considered the dean of women landscape architects, influenced the integration of the garden views in the design of the home. This was created at Longue Vue. The story of the Sterns* is inspiring in every way. The garden is quite genuinely genius in design.
Most Memorable Garden Moments 2016
During 2016 Rich, my husband, driver, and photographer, and I, flower fanatic, writer, and gardener, visited 134 new gardens. We traveled in the west to Seattle, San Francisco, Cheyenne, Boulder, and Ft. Collins. We did a tour through Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and a small area of northern Florida. We traveled seven weeks in New Zealand visiting 102 gardens. Viewing the world through the lens of a garden has given us a further education in history, geography, sociology, botany, art, and cultures, especially horticulture and agriculture.
Signaling Welcome
“Signs, Signs, everywhere there’s signs,
messin’ up the scenery, breaking’ my mind.”
(The Five Man Electrical Band)
Public gardens welcome curious visitors from all over the world. They enter eager to learn about the land, plants, trees and rocks of a particular place. Many gardens proudly highlight the entrance with an eye catching sign, often nestled among a beautifully landscaped bed of flowers. Once inside, posted signs act as the voice speaking directly to visitors. When it comes to signs everywhere, some are creative offenders and a few are just plain offenders.
Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Bishopville, South Carolina
In 2006 PBS showed the documentary film “A Man Named Pearl.” The film was about a topiary artist’s garden in South Carolina. Seeing the film made a lasting impression on me so much so I recently headed to Bishopville to see Pearl Fryar’s topiary garden. Arriving at his home there are no gates, no posted hours, just a welcome sign with a donation box. A homemade kiosk holds a small brochure with information about the garden. Rich and I walked right into Pearl’s garden, and by the end of our visit we had met Pearl, wandered through his garden and left feeling grateful and inspired.
Audubon Swamp Garden Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC
As an Arizona gardener I don’t deal with much mud and I don’t own a pair of rubber boots. So I can’t imagine gardening in the low country of South Carolina, where there is water meandering through the landscape nearly everywhere. Yet when I learned of the Audubon Swamp Garden, I knew I needed to wander through. I was assured by Christopher at the ticket window that we would be walking through on a raised wooden walkway, safe and protected from alligators. After winding my way in the Swamp Garden for several hours on small board walks spanning the muddy places and navigating around the protruding tree roots I wasn’t sure Christopher had set foot in the garden.
Kudzu Baskets
Visiting Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Ga I arrived just in time to take in the Dogwood Festival. I love street art fairs. I feel so inspired as I wander through seeing the original creations made by artists who see the world in a unique way creating powerful expressions of their view. The Dogwood Art festival began in 1936 and it is hard to imagine how many incredible new art creations have occurred in all the years of this event.
Philbrook Art Museum & Gardens, Tulsa, OK
“Oh what a beautiful morning!”
My primary exposure to Oklahoma was in the movie theatre many years ago, “where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain.” So when driving through the state recently and finding an ornate Italian Villa with 23 acres of formal gardens, I realized I needed to learn more about this place where there is “Plen’y of air and plen’y of room, Plen’y of heart and plen’y of hope.” (lyrics of Oklahoma, Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Myriad Botanical Gardens, Oklahoma City, OK
My primary exposure to Oklahoma was in the movie theatre “where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain” So driving through the state and seeing the Myriad Botanical Gardens drastically expanded my view. Located in downtown Oklahoma City the 17 acre gardens “there is grand” just as the song from the famous musical says.
Philbrook Art Museum & Gardens, Tulsa, OK
If you should tire of your 72 room Italian villa surrounded by 23 acres of formal gardens, consider donating it to your city for an art museum. This happened! In Tulsa, OK, in 1938, oil man Waite Phillips & wife Genevieve decided to move from their Italian Renaissance villa to a home in California. Tired of their Tulsa home they donated it to the city. Accepting this “house” the city opened it as The Philbrook Art Museum surrounded by its beautiful gardens in 1939. Today it continues as a great point of pride for Tulsa.