Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz is being revamped.

 SEE YOU SOON!

2013 has arrived and I find myself celebrating the 4th Blogiversary of Bay Area Tendrils

…while saying goodbye to the garden I’ve tended for nearly 15 years.

Alice Joyce Garden Mosaic Path Photo © Alice Joyce

I embrace the change, despite the accompanying stress and challenges.

C. 'Solfatare' Photo © Alice Joyce

I’ll miss some of the beautiful specimens that take starring roles in my Northern California landscape, like the buttery blooms of Crocosmia ‘Solfatare’ that shine against the garden’s Moroccan Blue walls.

Anemone n. Robinsoniana - Among the first plants to bloom in early spring in Alice's Garden.

Aristolochia californica Photo © Alice Joyce

Native specimens like the California Dutchman’s Pipevine – a spectacular plant that provides endless pleasures, putting on a surprising show, reblooming when I least expect it.

Blue throatwort: Photo © Alice Joyce

 Another favorite, Trachelium caeruleum – blue throatwort partners again with the blue wall.

I may be moving on, but my sweet garden will not be forgotten!

For a look back on my garden from its earliest days … Click Here.

The Garden Bloggers are coming to town!

After the bloggers have visited a trove of the Bay Area’s great gardens, all lined up in a stellar itinerary that includes Filoli to the iconic landscape of the Ruth Bancroft Garden and The Wave Garden,

Wave Garden Vista View © Alice Joyce

… there are a few more special settings the bloggers might consider squeezing into their visit to the City By The Bay:

Thomas Church-designed pocket park ~ one of San Francisco’s Secret Gardens … Fay Park

Fay Park - Thomas Church Design Photo © Alice Joyce

Another must-see: the city’s beautiful community effort mosaic work ~ the Tiled Steps … 

San Francisco Tiled Steps Photo © Alice Joyce

Perhaps if you’re reading this and you’ve recently seen Andy Goldsworthy’s Spire in the Presidio …

Goldsworthy - The Spire - Photo © Alice Joyce

you might leave a comment to tell me how it’s holding up.

That’s all for now.

Check back for a report on the Fling Dinner to be held this Friday at  The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.

Click here to read my 2004 Garden Walks column, when the Conservatory of Flowers celebrated its 125th birthday!

Book Review: Swedish author Anneli Bojstad teams up with her husband, the celebrated Spanish photographer Eduardo Mencos, to spotlight 40 alluring Spanish gardens, reaching across the countryside from north to south, onward to the Canary Islands, Mallorca and Menorca.

Great Gardens of Spain: Published by Frances Lincoln Ltd.

Copyright 2011 Anneli Bojstad and Eduardo Mencos. Frances Lincoln Ltd. $50.00

The reader who suffers from wanderlust will appreciate the inclusion of settings you will be able to visit, as each garden can be toured by garden sojourners. Boistad emerges as an excellent tour guide, enriching her engaging descriptions of design elements, outstanding hardscape features and important plantings by explaining the historical context and symbolism that colors each landscape. It’s quickly apparent, Spanish gardens vary with the terrain: they cannot be grouped within one style, nor do they all share similar growing conditions or habitat.

Spanish Gardens

While you may be familiar with the idiosyncratic wonders of Gaudi’s Park Güell, or the magnificence of El Generalife and the Alhambra, I’m guessing even devout garden enthusiasts will find places they hope to visit if that next trip to Spain becomes possible. Boistad reveals Parque Sama in Cataluna, designed by the same architect – Fonstsere i Mestre, who designed Barcelona’s La Ciudedela. It’s believed that Gaudi may also have worked here, given the park’s oddly fantastical rockwork.

The exquisite formality of Segovia’s majestic Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildelfonso is shown in a panoply of year-round seasonal vignettes: Likewise, Madrid’s Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, together with many other of the city’s public spaces.  Look for a garden in Aragon where nature reigns in stunning cascades of rushing water and serene woodlands, the Monasterio de Piedra.

Garden travelers may wish to make full use of the ‘Information for Visitors’ listing. All the pertinent contact information appears here, whether your future plans take you to the Atlantic region, the Mediterranean or Andalusia.

April 14 – 24, 2012  … Mallorca and Menorca: Gardens, Art and Cuisine

Boasting an exciting itinerary – including a rare opportunity to visit private gardens in the countryside and coastal settings of Mallorca, an upcoming tour offered by the Pacific Horticulture Foundation has a few spaces available. Escorted by Katherine Greenberg, a designer with expertise spanning an in-depth knowledge of Spain and Mediterranean gardening, the tour promises insider status as participants experience gardens, fine cuisine, and art that sets Mallorca apart. 

Palma Fountain: Photo © Katherine Greenberg

Spanish Gardens .. on Amazon

Another highlight of this small group tour: Participants will explore Menorca, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, while experiencing the island’s fascinating archaeological sites and distinctive architecture.

The lake bordered by palm trees at Alfabia, a private garden dating from the Moorish period, featured in…

Great Gardens of Spain, by Anneli Bojstad and Eduardo Mencos .. reviewed on Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz.

Mallorca: Photo © Katherine Greenberg

The Pacific Horticulture Foundation web site features a trove of information for all who appreciate the world of flora and exceptional landscape design.

Magical Morocco, a country where magnificent landscapes unfold. Cities rich with history and culture beckon travelers, while expats from the far corners are lured to put down roots. And in Marrakech… garden lovers discover the world renowned Jardin Majorelle.

Majorelle Garden Main Building   © Alice Joyce

Now under the auspices of Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, the main building houses an exquisite collection of Berber art and artifacts.

Restored in 1980 by Saint Laurent and Bergé, the garden’s lush plantings and visually stunning layout and structures are deserving of a lengthy visit, while the Berber Museum is filled with entrancing displays.

Jardin Majorelle Pavilion © Alice Joyce

The setting boasts a panoply of color used to full effect, where a blending of Islamic and Art Deco architecture and elements arise.

Jardin Majorelle Central Pool & Fountain © Alice Joyce

Bamboo groves, countless species of mature cacti and arrays of rare euphorbias are among the treasure trove of flora.

Majorelle Yellow Planter ..  Play of Shadows © Alice Joyce

Jardin Majorelle … Tiled Steps © Alice Joyce

Book Review: Swedish author Anneli Bojstad teams up with her husband, the celebrated Spanish photographer Eduardo Mencos, to spotlight 40 alluring Spanish gardens, reaching across the countryside from north to south, onward to the Canary Islands, Mallorca and Menorca.

Great Gardens of Spain: Published by Frances Lincoln Ltd.

Copyright 2011 Anneli Bojstad and Eduardo Mencos. Frances Lincoln Ltd. $50.00

The reader who suffers from wanderlust will appreciate the inclusion of settings you will be able to visit, as each garden can be toured by garden sojourners. Boistad emerges as an excellent tour guide, enriching her engaging descriptions of design elements, outstanding hardscape features and important plantings by explaining the historical context and symbolism that colors each landscape. It’s quickly apparent, Spanish gardens vary with the terrain: they cannot be grouped within one style, nor do they all share similar growing conditions or habitat.

Spanish Gardens

While you may be familiar with the idiosyncratic wonders of Gaudi’s Park Güell, or the magnificence of El Generalife and the Alhambra, I’m guessing even devout garden enthusiasts will find places they hope to visit if that next trip to Spain becomes possible. Boistad reveals Parque Sama in Cataluna, designed by the same architect – Fonstsere i Mestre, who designed Barcelona’s La Ciudedela. It’s believed that Gaudi may also have worked here, given the park’s oddly fantastical rockwork.

The exquisite formality of Segovia’s majestic Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildelfonso is shown in a panoply of year-round seasonal vignettes: Likewise, Madrid’s Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, together with many other of the city’s public spaces.  Look for a garden in Aragon where nature reigns in stunning cascades of rushing water and serene woodlands, the Monasterio de Piedra.

Garden travelers may wish to make full use of the ‘Information for Visitors’ listing. All the pertinent contact information appears here, whether your future plans take you to the Atlantic region, the Mediterranean or Andalusia.

April 14 – 24, 2012  … Mallorca and Menorca: Gardens, Art and Cuisine

Boasting an exciting itinerary – including a rare opportunity to visit private gardens in the countryside and coastal settings of Mallorca, an upcoming tour offered by the Pacific Horticulture Foundation has a few spaces available. Escorted by Katherine Greenberg, a designer with expertise spanning an in-depth knowledge of Spain and Mediterranean gardening, the tour promises insider status as participants experience gardens, fine cuisine, and art that sets Mallorca apart. 

Palma Fountain: Photo © Katherine Greenberg

Spanish Gardens .. on Amazon

Another highlight of this small group tour: Participants will explore Menorca, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, while experiencing the island’s fascinating archaeological sites and distinctive architecture.

The lake bordered by palm trees at Alfabia, a private garden dating from the Moorish period, featured in…

Great Gardens of Spain, by Anneli Bojstad and Eduardo Mencos .. reviewed on Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz.

Mallorca: Photo © Katherine Greenberg

The Pacific Horticulture Foundation web site features a trove of information for all who appreciate the world of flora and exceptional landscape design.

Magical Morocco, a country where magnificent landscapes unfold. Cities rich with history and culture beckon travelers, while expats from the far corners are lured to put down roots. And in Marrakech… garden lovers discover the world renowned Jardin Majorelle.

Majorelle Garden Main Building   © Alice Joyce

Now under the auspices of Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, the main building houses an exquisite collection of Berber art and artifacts.

Restored in 1980 by Saint Laurent and Bergé, the garden’s lush plantings and visually stunning layout and structures are deserving of a lengthy visit, while the Berber Museum is filled with entrancing displays.

Jardin Majorelle Pavilion © Alice Joyce

The setting boasts a panoply of color used to full effect, where a blending of Islamic and Art Deco architecture and elements arise.

Jardin Majorelle Central Pool & Fountain © Alice Joyce

Bamboo groves, countless species of mature cacti and arrays of rare euphorbias are among the treasure trove of flora.

Majorelle Yellow Planter ..  Play of Shadows © Alice Joyce

Jardin Majorelle … Tiled Steps © Alice Joyce

Memories gathered from our travels continue to give pleasure long after we’ve returned home.

Hadrian’s Villa Photo © Alice Joyce

In looking back on my sojourns, I enjoy dwelling upon landscapes that captured my imagination, settings that remain in my mind’s-eye as vivid impressions, continuing to enrich my days.

As 2011 draws to a close, I’m looking back on historical sights, and also iconic contemporary settings that I highly recommend when planning travel. Are you going to visit Italy? Hadrian’s Villa…

Bomarzo: Neptune Photo © Alice Joyce

and the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo offer unforgettable experiences where you might imagine dwelling for a time in another era.           Read more about Italian Gardens on Amazon…

Keller Fountain Photo © Copyright Alice Joyce

Portland is one of the most vibrant, inviting cities in the U.S., and the Ira Keller Fountain should not be missed. The iconic contemporary design of the park’s landscape and fountain is included in the book,

1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die.

Dombeya cayeuxii Photo © Alice Joyce

The Adamson House in Malibu, California offers immersion in an important period of Americana: The Historic Malibu Potteries. And it’s here, if you time your visit accordingly, that you’ll see the magnificent blooms of Dombeya cayeuxii!

Kensington Roof Gardens Photo Copyright © Alice Joyce

A hidden gem to seek out when your travels take you to London: The Kensington Roof Gardens will surprise and delight!

Read more by clicking on the garden links to features on Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz,

& stay tuned for more buzzzz… and Happy Holidays!

When the Garden Bloggers came to town,

they visited a trove of the Bay Area’s great gardens, all lined up in a stellar itinerary that included Filoli to the iconic landscape of the Ruth Bancroft Garden and The Wave Garden,

Wave Garden Vista View © Alice Joyce

A few more special settings have been highlighted here on Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz. You may want to include them in your itinerary when traveling to the City By The Bay!

Thomas Church-designed pocket park ~ one of San Francisco’s Secret Gardens … Fay Park

Fay Park – Thomas Church Design Photo © Alice Joyce

Another must-see: the city’s beautiful community effort mosaic work ~ the Tiled Steps … 

San Francisco Tiled Steps © Alice Joyce

Perhaps if you’re reading this and you’ve recently seen Andy Goldsworthy’s Spire in the Presidio …

Andy Goldsworthy The Spire  © Alice Joyce

you might leave a comment to tell me how it’s holding up.

That’s all for now.

  The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park: Click Below….

to read my 2004 Garden Walks column, when the Conservatory of Flowers celebrated its 125th birthday!

Wave Garden Bay View

Wave Garden © Alice Joyce

Wave Garden Sculpture Concrete Detail  © Alice Joyce

Species from all 5 Mediterranean regions–from California to Mexico and South Africa, Europe to Australia–thrive in the waterside microclimate of Point Richmond, California, where succulent plants serve as stunning accents.

Wave Garden Vista © Alice Joyce

Garden designer Kellee Adams created a plant-scape that pivots upon “the goal of a garden with no trees.” And so, ground covering Sedum ‘Angelina adds golden tones alongside the walkways, with the brilliant rosettes of Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ a standout amid rush-like restios. Fleshy, colorfully splashed, spiky leaves of Mangave ‘Macho Mocha,’ an Agave hybrid is representative of the Wave Garden’s trove of eye-catching specimens.

Wave Garden Ironwork

During my visit to the garden, the variegated bracts of Leucadendron salignum present a glowing display, to decorate planting beds and play off the terra-cotta hue of the garden’s curving walls, staircases, and intimate patios.

Amador added sculptural texture by hand, as in an element that suggests waves. Rounding a bend, the expressive lines of hand-forged ironwork railings add a unifying, artful effect to the landscape.

The Wave Garden is open daily, year-round, 8am to 6 pm — 615 Western Drive, Point Richmond.

  

Wave Garden Stairway

Wave Garden Sculpture © Alice Joyce

Fay Park Gazebo Cotoneaster lacteus © Alice Joyce

Walk down toward North Beach, just beyond the city’s ‘crooked’ landmark street – where Lombard twists & turns to the delight of photo-snapping tourists – and you’ll find Fay Park tucked away at Leavenworth and Chestnut Streets, adjacent to a spacious Edwardian home on the corner. Mrs. Mary Fay Berrigan bequeathed this historic property — the house and its rare attached garden, to the City of San Francisco.

Renowned American landscape architect, Thomas Church designed the garden for Mrs. Berrigan in 1957. A San Francisco resident, Church lived nearby for more than 4 decades, until he passed away in 1978. Fay Park is now thought to be the only residential garden designed by Thomas Dolliver Church that is open to the public. (I invite readers to contact me if they know of any other Church garden that may have a similar history.)

Fay Park Gazebo © Alice Joyce

The park’s twin gazebos represent a design element closely associated with Church’s landscape projects.

Fay Park – Thomas Church Design   © Alice Joyce

From the park’s Russian Hill locale, you can look beyond to take in views of the San Francisco Bay.

Opened to the public in 2006, the park has been restored by city’s Parks and Recreation Department, and is now ADA accessible. The Friends of Fay Park include volunteers who work with the city to lavish care on the rose beds, lawns and topiary; reflected in the meticulous maintenance of this gem of a space.

The berries of mature cotoneasters provide a colorful winter backdrop at the perimeter of the upper terrace.

To learn about Church’s work, read Marc Treib’s book: Thomas Church, Landscape Architect: Designing A Modern California Landscape

The park’s harmonious layout creates a peaceful oasis, where the hardscape allies with the living structure of greenery – clipped boxwood outlining planting beds and postage-stamp size lawns. The active linear forms of deciduous trees and roses serve to play off the simple yet eye-catching white gazebos, balustrade, and stair railing.

The Upper Terrace Walkway: Stairs lead to the lower level and a gateway to the street.

Terraced Rose Beds .. A Winter View

Note: As of March 2019, the San Francisco Rec & Parks Web Site lists open hours as 5am – Midnight

For More Info visit: https://sfrecpark.org/destination/fay-park/

Below: Streetside view of the fence and gate; alongside tidy rose beds, lower lawn with sun dial, and bench.

Fay Park Terraced Rose Beds Winter  © Alice Joyce

Artist/Photographer Don Worth created a paradise garden in Mill Valley, California.  Soon you’ll have a rare opportunity to experience the garden’s tropical splendor: On Saturday, June 16th, 2012 .. The Garden Conservancy Open Days Program allows visitors access to this beguiling landscape.

Worth Garden tableau Photo © Alice Joyce

In 1964 Worth bought the property in Mill Valley and began the work of making a garden. When I walked through the landscape with Don in 2004, he remembered thinking of all the photographs he would take. “It became a laboratory for me,” he said, “… a never-ending source of subject matter.”

Worth Garden Plantings Photo © Alice Joyce

Don passed away not long ago, but his garden remains a testament to an individual’s stunning artistic vision. You’d never know the setting had been overgrown with poison oak, French broom, wild blackberries, and as Don told me, “more different kinds of weeds than one can imagine.”

Agave victoria-reginae Photo © Alice Joyce

Bit by bit, Don cleared the area and planted tree ferns. Over time, Monterey pines that were reaching the end of their normal life span were removed. Today the half-acre garden emerges from the lot’s hilly terrain like a tropical oasis. Don’s amazing attention to detail sets the garden apart, along with beautifully cultivated communities of plants and a vast collection of palm trees.

Worth Garden /Silver leaves and Steps Photo © Alice Joyce

Numerous kinds of palms are planted, among them cane and Guadalupe, fishtail and queen palms. Most are subtropical species.

Worth / Red Fronds Photo © Alice Joyce

The towering architectural stature of the trees combines with the textural qualities of their trunks to endow every part of the garden with character, while the understory presents voluptuous compositions in which specimen plants accent complementary groupings of succulents and bromeliads. Strapping philodendrons provide maximum impact. Contrasting succulent displays are arranged in a tapestry of color and form.

Worth Garden Palms and Echium Photo © Alice Joyce

An entire realm of echeverias appears. In the greenhouse, Worth has produced numerous Echeveria hybrids through crossing various species. Tender varieties ‘Morning Sun’ and ‘Morning Star’ exhibit gemlike colors; their pale blue leaves seem to glow from within, and a sharp pink edge delineates each leaf.

Worth Garden Greenhouse Array  © Alice Joyce

On a hillside, visitors encounter a host of succulents in subtle variations of green. Aloes, agaves with cool hues and black-tipped leaves, and blue-gray cycads play off Aeonium arboreum ‘Garnet,’ a colorful new variety.

Beschorneria

This special opening of Worth’s treasure of a gardenscape is reason enough to plan to be in the Bay Area on June 16th. When you can delight in the breathtaking sight of luxuriant, mature black-stemmed tree ferns indigenous to New Zealand. Plants that Don had once been astonished to find had self-sown in 1994! As he once wrote, the spores of this rare species, Cyathea medullaris then “drifted to the lower garden and .. germinated.”

Worth Garden Tree Fern Photo © Alice Joyce

 Today, the exquisite tree ferns are but one of the highlights of Worth’s Paradise.

Below: Worth Garden Vignette Photo: Copyright Alice Joyce

Andy Cao’s lyrical, dreamlike garden at Cornerstone Sonoma,

Bai Yun : White Cloud represents a stunning transformation of the original Cao – Perrot Studio installation created for the Cornerstone Festival: the Lullaby Garden.

Andy Cao: Bai Yun / White Cloud Detail

As an artist and landscape designer, Cao has achieved renown for dreamlike environments, calling upon vivid memories of his Vietnam homeland, while melding cultural references into aesthetic wonderlands. Having been awarded the Rome Prize Fellowship in Landscape Architecture, and a post at Harvard as a Loeb Fellow, Andy returned to Northern California recently to create two site-specific installations for Cornerstone.

You can hear Andy talk about his work and the inspirations that drive his designs on Thursday, November 17, 2011: an evening hosted by The Garden Conservancy at The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio.

Full details on the lecture – Incidental Placemaking: Beauty and Dreams, along with registration information can be found on The Garden Conservancy web site.  A Meadowcroft Wine reception at 6 p.m. will be followed by Andy’s presentation from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Bai Yun – White Cloud

The event is cosponsored by Cornerstone Sonoma: Be sure to check back for a new post in the days ahead. I’ll share information on an upcoming free event to coincide with Andy’s visit the following Sunday at Cornerstone in Sonoma Wine Country.

Bai Yun / White Cloud – Photo © Alice Joyce

The upcoming post will feature another  new Cao-Perrot  installation, in progress at this time: Red Lantern is situated on a site at Cornerstone where visitors may remember the Martha Schwartz design had been installed.

Andy’s work is singled out on the cover of the book:  Avant Gardeners

…a book I reviewed when it was first released. It’s filled with a trove of fascinating projects that I often return to when I’m pondering innovative ideas in contemporary garden design.

Andy Cao Photo –  Courtesy The Garden Conservancy

La Cocina que Canta! ~ The Kitchen That Sings

Rancho La Puerta La Cocina Gardens  © Alice Joyce

Cooking School &  Culinary Center – Rancho La Puerta

The lush six-acre kitchen gardens of Tres Estrellas are located a bit north of the Rancho’s main landscape.

Rancho La Puerta La Cocina Que Canta © Alice Joyce

Encompassing 3,000 acres overall, the Rancho property takes in a 2,000-acre parcel set aside by the Szekely as a permanent nature preserve.

Equally impressive:  The gardens have been farmed organically since 1940, yielding delectable produce for the Rancho’s Mediterranean-style meals & for ingredients used at the cooking school. Below: Set within the pavement, a circular design combines pebble paving & wooly thyme, releasing its lovely scent with each footstep.

Rancho La Puerta – Wooly thyme Paving La Cocina © Alice Joyce

In the entryway courtyard leading to the kitchen, bougainvillea scrambles up the red brick wall, while the rich fragrance of Brugmansia ‘Charles Grimaldi’ is most potent at the end of the day.

© Alice Joyce

Edible flowers garnish many dishes to add flavor and color, like the delicious blooms of  broccoli rabe – aka Broccoli Raap or Rapini.

Head Gardener Salvador Tinajero © Alice Joyce

Head Gardener Salvador Tinajero cares for the gardens, and assists students in harvesting herbs and vegetables to be added to the school’s mouth-watering recipes.

The gardens thrive in a valley nestled in the foothills of Mount Kuchumaa .. a sacred site for Native Americans.

Rancho La Puerta La Cocina Que Canta Culinary Gardens © Alice Joyce

Echinopsis hybrid

After her husband, Philip, had phased out his family’s extensive walnut orchards, Mrs. Bancroft began in 1972 to plant her dry garden, containing a realm of plant life that characteristically requires limited water to thrive.

Bancroft Garden Photos ~ Courtesy Brian Kemble

Mrs. Bancroft developed a keen eye for form and structure as an architectural student in college. Such skills served her well in the garden’s early years, as she sited important palm trees and other arboreal specimens and shrubs.

After being ushered through the garden’s folly, you encounter the intriguing rosette forms of aloes, detecting great variety and scope in plants set off by spotted patterns and menacing pink teeth. Among the strange shapes and dramatic textures are tree-like aloes emblematic of the garden’s maturity.

View with Dasylirions in flower

All sorts of blooms materialize year-round in the garden. In spring and summer yuccas produce a host of towering, cream-colored flowering stalks, while the bizarre attributes of cactus plants indigenous to America are ornamented by pretty flowers followed by plentiful fruits. Aloes are garden curator Brian Kemble’s area of expertise. Among new hybrids developed by Kemble are plants producing flowers over a long period; with clouds of orange blooms creating a brilliant spectacle.

Bristly rotound cacti, yuccas with fibrous sharp-tipped, lance-like leaves, spiny agaves and escheverias with fleshy foliage assume their positions in mounded beds like a sculptural installation composed of living plant material.

Some years ago, I walked the paths guided by Mrs. Bancroft, and found that the assertive plant shapes enhance the garden’s organic layout. Mrs. Bancroft pointed out an area of slightly higher ground with an enticing planting of cacti, where she believed it to be a little warmer than the rest of the garden. Some cactus plants exhibit vivid red spines, while Eucalypts make alluring compatriots for the garden’s vast range of succulents.

Aloe folly – Courtesy Brian Kemble

Dodging raindrops, we entered a tunnel-like cover sheltering countless varieties of echeverias and gasterias: The wide cover built so that people could walk through and enjoy the plants in winter. I gazed down upon a topography composed of hairy-textured to felted to smooth and sleek leaves revealing a rosy pink glow. Huddled en masse, the gleaming flora boasted a scintillating palette of glaucous pale gray to olive green and blushed mauve, with red and violet tinges.

Mrs. Bancroft’s design artistry and gardening prowess as creator of this iconic landscape inspired the founding of The Garden Conservancy in 1989. Having set its sights on preserving our country’s horticultural legacy, the Conservancy championed Mrs.Bancroft’s 3-acre garden, selecting it as the first to be listed on the organization’s register.