Lasting Landscapes by Carol

A garden in ruin

I have fond memories of touring ancient Roman gardens in Italy and Greece and recall imagining how spectacular these structures must have been in their glory. I also marveled at how magnificent they were in ruin. Imagine how I felt during a recent, private tour of Louise duPont Crowninshield’s ruin garden at Hagley, which immediately transported me to those amazing places in Europe.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The ruin garden at Hagley reminded me of my visits to Italy and Greece

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The Hagley mansion provided no indication of the ruin garden located beyond the façade

Hagley is situated along the Brandywine River in Delaware on the site of the former Eleutherian Mills gunpowder factory founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802 and considered the birthplace of the du Pont company. After the mill was shut down in 1917 due to a catastrophic explosion, Louise, great granddaughter of E. I. du Pont and the last du Pont to live on the estate, created a garden on the 20-acre steep slope that descended 90 feet from the house to the river. It’s hard to say exactly what inspired her to build a ruin garden on the site, but it was clear she wanted to create a space for entertainment and amusement. Strong willed, she rejected the architect’s idea of leveling the space and putting in pastures for sheep. Thank goodness for us as the garden is unique in many aspects.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

This painting shows Louise’s garden design

Louise was not at all concerned that her garden did not conform to the current style or tradition. She ignored the common practice of situating formal gardens near the house and informal gardens distanced from the main residence. She utilized surviving components from the mill such as evaporation cauldrons and structural walls as integral parts of her design and then added statuary, mosaics, columns and pools. Supposedly Louise’s husband requested that the worst masons be assigned to the job so the walls would be crooked and appear distressed. Chains and chisels further weathered the materials and gave them an authentic ruin look.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Evaporation cauldrons and walls from the factory served as integral components to the garden’s design

 

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The cauldrons looked different from every angle

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

I imagined the cauldrons ablaze during parties like modern day firepits

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The use of existing factory structures added to the ambiance of the space

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Despite the green water of the original pool, I  pictured the grandeur of the space in its prime

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The worst masons created crooked and leaning walls

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Different types of stone and brick made the ruin more authentic

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Masons used chisels and chains to distress the brick for an aged look

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Statuary played a key role in the garden’s design

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Figures graced the columns of archways

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Mosaics decorated the floors of entertaining spaces

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

At the garden’s peak, this figure spit water into the cauldron as a whimsical water feature

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Rambling vines and a naturalistic landscape added to the ruin feel

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The columns mimicked the trees in the mature landscape

I feel honored to have witnessed this marvelous space with a rich history that teaches us many lessons. The significance of honoring a space’s history. The importance of making a garden your own – something that pleases its creator first and foremost. And the parallels we find in gardens that mimic life and death or in this case life and ruin.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Pretty pairings

Spring is a busy time of year in the garden.  Not just for gardeners, but for the plants themselves. Blooms burst and colors explode.  Each day something new emerges.  A fiddlehead, a bud, a new leaf.  I take notice of the details and the overall scene. In particular, I observe combinations that work.

Dark colors contrasted with lighter make for an impressive display. The burgundy foliage of the Japanese Maple is stunning paired with the Phlox subulata that will eventually cascade over the stone wall.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The brilliant dark blue of Aguilegia (Columbine) stands out against the lime green foliage of an Ilex verticillata.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Iris ‘Immortality’ appears illuminated against the backdrop of Penstemon ‘Husker Red.’

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Soft colors and textures look great together as well. A peach Iris balances the pubescent leaves of Lamb’s Ear (Stachys).

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Garden ornaments perfectly complement plants too.  An elegant stone maiden is right at home amid some Pieris japonica.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

A cast sunflower leans into a nearby tree peony (Peonia suffrictosa) as if to say hello.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Different textures combine beautifully in the garden like Allium Globemaster with Comfrey Axminster’s Gold (Symphytum).

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Other winning combinations include the use of a common color.  The purple flowers of Epimedium ‘Making Waves’ echo the purple veining in Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’).

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

The Lavendar flowers of Erigeron pulchellus ‘Lynnhaven’s Carpet’ blend seamlessly with the purple blooms of Mazus reptans.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

What are you noticing in the garden? I’d love to hear the winning combinations you’ve created or witnessed during this spring of quarantine.