Annual explosion

I have to admit that annuals don’t play a big role in my garden.  Sure; some of my containers have annuals, but I bring these inside for the winter so that they act more like perennials.  Annuals are labor intensive, needing to be planted each year.  Because they have to establish their root structures from scratch each season, they go through an awkward ‘teenage’ stage where they don’t seem to grow. I am afraid that I'd be constantly weeding to give them a fighting chance.

My recent visit to the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh, Wisconsin reminded me that I might be missing out.  The front border of this English manor house in Wisconsin is planted with a mixture of ornamental and edible annuals that create an explosion of color and interest: a big welcome that draws visitors in and stops you in your tracks.

The front border as seen in June.

Canna, verbena, celosia, and cosmos were planted here in June after the risk of morning frost had passed.  Only a few weeks later, the amazing display seen here rewards patience.  I particularly love the way kale is used to both soften and highlight the ornamental flowers. The color scheme is warm and harmonious, drifts of individual plants increase their impact, and repeating patterns create a soothing rhythm that carries your eye along the border.

Jessie Kimberly-Paine and Nathan Paine.  Source: The Paine Art Center and Gardens.

The story of this garden begins with Jessie and Nathan Paine.  Jessie Kimberly-Paine was the daughter of the founder of Kimberly-Clark, today the maker of Huggies and Kleenex products.  Nathan Paine was president of the Paine Lumber company, the largest door and sash producer in the country at the time. 

In 1925 the Paines decided to build a home inspired by their English heritage.  To realize their dream they turned to architect Bryant Fleming who had studied horticulture, architecture, architectural history, and art.  Fleming built their house in the Tudor style; the grounds were laid out to provide a woodland setting. 

Unfortunately, the Paines never lived in the house.  The Paine Lumber Company had a history of poor labor relations that would spoil their chance to realize their dream.   In 1898 local woodworkers went on strike to protest the lack of follow-through on wage increases and the use of women and child labor.  The strike lasted 14 weeks and turned violent with one death resulting.  Nathan’s father had the union leaders tried for conspiracy and won the case; but worker resentment remained strong.

Headline from the Milwaukee Sentinel, 1898.  Source: Wisconsin Historical Society

In 1929 the Paine Lumber Company was the largest producer of wood doors in the country.  Source: Jamie Helf.

As the house neared completion in the 1930’s, the great depression was also in full swing.  Workers were expected to share the burden as they had in previous economic downturns.  Oshkosh was already a low wage manufacturing area, so additional cuts must have been particularly difficult.  Meanwhile construction of the mansion continued on schedule.  Disgruntled employees that had been laid off threatened to bomb the house if they ever moved in.  The Paines decided to leave town.

After almost 15 years, the Paines returned to create the non-profit organization that became an art museum and garden open to the public in 1948.  Jessie Kimberly-Paine continued to be involved until her death at the age of 100.

The museum has a wonderful permanent collection that displays pieces as they would appear in the residence, and the attached art gallery hosts wonderful traveling exhibits.  Don’t miss the current Downton Abbey costume collection on display through September 20th.  Most of all don't miss the every changing garden.

 

Architect Bryant Fleming. Source: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The wilderness at Hidcote

“The only way in which a variety of aspect was deliberately chosen was in the way of thinning out the natural growths… to clear away all but one, or in some cases two kinds of trees…  Even in this the intention was to secure simplicity rather than variety, so that in moving about the ground there should be one thing at a time to see and enjoy. “  Gertrude Jekyll, Color Schemes for the Flower Garden, 1914

Gertrude Jekyll was a major force behind the arts and crafts garden.  She reached millions of gardeners through her writings in Country Life, William Robinson’s The Garden, and more than a dozen garden books. 

Though we cannot know for sure, it is likely that Lawrence Johnston was influenced by her work.  On a recent visit to his world famous garden Hidcote in the English countryside, it was an area called “The Wilderness” that reminded me most of Jekyll.   

At first, "the wilderness" seems like an apt description.  An idyllic wooded section that only nature could have created; it could be a grove in any nature preserve.  But this wilderness is man-made.  Johnston features a few tree species, most notably birch, that are thinned in order to let light in.  Mown grass paths meander through the garden the way a curving stream might cut the space; a real contrast to the linear lines in the rest of the garden. 

On the mid-summer day I visited I was struck by the restraint: stands of trees underplanted with drifts of daisies. The simplicity gives the space cohesiveness. Instead of being boring, it invited me to appreciate these few plants more deeply, to take in the overall composition.  This garden is nature made better through editing.

Gardener Frank Adams with Lawrence Johnston, 1927.  Source: National Trust.

It was hard to believe that Hidcote began as a windswept plot with poor soil.  It took Lawrence Johnston over 40 years, starting in 1907, to create what we see today: axes, garden rooms, and borrowed views from the countryside beyond.  In 1922 he engaged Frank Adams as head gardener to help him realize his vision.  The garden is now so established that it looks like it has always been this way. 

With names like "The Old Garden", "The Red Borders", "The Pillar Garden", "The Long Walk", each outdoor room represents a unique, self-standing space with lessons that can be adapted to smaller areas.

While many designers share their approach to garden-making through writing, Johnston poured his unique combination of artistry and plant knowledge into his garden.  He let his garden speak for itself.  Hidcote expert Fred Whitsey writes, “The only picture it is possible to build is one of a man who shunned the limelight and public knowledge, and was secretive to the point that even now, many years after his death, he is as elusive as thistledown.”  I am disappointed that Johnston did not leave notes behind that would have allowed us to get to know him better.  The clues to who he was remain in his garden work.

The February 22, 1930 issue of Country Life that featured Hidcote. Source: rostronandedwards.com

Just as Johnston sought inspiration from others, he serves as an inspiration for us today.  His garden was featured in several Country Life 1930 articles and designer Russell Page’s 1934 radio program.  There are clear similarities between Hidcote and the later work of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson at their garden at Sissinghurst.

In 1948, Hidcote became the first property to join the National Trust exclusively for its garden; a significant achievement since the property had no endownment. 

Today over 150,000 people visit Hidcote each year.  Hidcote is in the Cotswolds, about 2.5 hours outside of London. 

 

"What's out there?"

On my recent trip to Washington DC, Meridian Hill answered this question. This Italian renaissance garden sits right in the heart of the Columbia Heights-Adams Morgan neighborhoods surrounded by Beaux Arts mansions and elegant apartment buildings.  Now a National Historic Landmark, “the creation of a Renaissance villa landscape in the midst of an American city… has no true parallel."

The garden is well known to local residents but as a visitor from out of town, I wouldn’t have thought to venture in.  This garden doesn’t open up to the street the way a city park usually does.  A perimeter of tall plantings, retaining walls, and fencing separates the busy world outside from the quiet space within.  I find this inviting in a private garden, but I must admit that-- in a city that I don’t know well-- I found the barriers unwelcoming. 

Fortunately I had just read about this garden in The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s “What’s Out There” guide for DC—which inspired me to visit.

The garden has several distinct sections: there is a grass mall set on a cliff with views of the city, a memorial garden to President Buchanan (the only one in the city), and a quiet avenue of linden trees.  Key elements are set on an axis; geometry and symmetry govern the design. Wonderful side paths and garden spaces connect the sections and soften the incline of the property.  Benches offer places to relax.   

My favorite element was the dramatic cascade.  A multi-tier waterfall takes advantage of the 75-foot drop from the top of the hill to the street below.  In this section, the planting scheme ranges from the intentional to the serendipitous.  Cannas and boxwood join morning glories and grasses that have worked their way into some of the planters.  Though I could imagine the garden with more formal plantings, I just loved this touch of abandon: the look of nature left to its own devices that complements structure so well.

Creating the park was the personal passion of 'urban planner' Mary Henderson.  She envisioned an area full of embassies and missions and started to lobby Congress in the 1890s to create the park as an iconic entrance to the city.

George Burnap and Horace Peaslee, from the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, created the first designs in 1914.   In 1918, landscape designer Ferruccio Vitale joined the team to develop the planting plan and simplified the design that we see today.

Mary Henderson, 1923. Source: StreetsofWashington.com

George Burnap, 1914. OldPictures.com

Ferruccio Vitale.  Source: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

As in every garden, budget constraints meant trade-offs. The designers had hoped for natural stone, but its cost was prohibitive.  With so much hardscape required, the designers turned to local artisan, John Earley.  Early developed a technique that used economical cast concrete embedded with aggregate, a material he would become famous for.

"The rhythm of the city: The Meridian Hill Park drum circle evolves."  The Washington Post. By Jahi Chikwendiu, August 28, 2014

Today, the park hosts a drumming circle during the summer.  Started in 1965 to celebrate the life of Malcolm X after his assassination, the tradition continues every Sunday.  The park is sometimes called Malcolm X Park.  I think that Mary Henderson would be thrilled to see how comfortably old-world style can host the needs of modern culture.

Thanks to The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s “What’s out there” garden guide, it is now easier than ever to find a good garden to visit.  The guides have it all: a short history of the garden, information on the people who created it, the reasons why the garden is important, and where to find it.

Vacation season is upon us; whether you stay close to home or travel far, I hope you will have the chance to visit a good garden “out there.”

See more Italian renaissance gardens here.

 

Map of Meridian Hill Park.  Source: Washington Parks and People