Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Former owner:
Jenks Family  Search this
Mielke, Carl  Search this
Mielke, Mary Jane  Search this
Sculptor:
Sprague, Brian  Search this
Provenance:
Carrie T. Watson Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Moments (North East, Pennsylvania)
United States of America -- Pennsylvania -- Erie -- North East
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, site plans, additional images and a bibliography.
General:
This property is perched on a plateau at 60 feet above a creek which feeds onto nearby Lake Erie. When the current owners purchased the property in 1998 the landscaping began with removal of formal plantings and replacing with shrubs like serviceberry, oak leaf hydrangea and spirea. To maintain a difficult terrain, flowers were planted on the steep hill about 3 feet from the house; and foundation stones were repurposed in a variety of shapes and sizes and placed on the hill for planting. A few trees were cut down over the years to provide more sun. One of the trees remained and an artist was commissioned to create a face/hand sculpture standing about 10 feet tall. A fence was built from locust posts which provides a backdrop for flowering plants such as climbing roses, gooseneck loosestrife, sunflowers, hydrangea, Scotch broom, and coneflowers.
The "island" in the backyard has evolved to include garden art of flowers made from fire nozzles, copper and aluminum which acts as a trellis for clematis, and home to a tall hydrangea. The northwest side of the property is bordered by the steep cliff to the creek. A six-foot edge of hostas and myrtle serves as a safety barrier. As one enters the creek side of the house, spirea hide the view of the creek until one passes thru pillars and is awed by the view. A planting of rugosa roses with an antique fence as a backdrop forms the setting for the parking area of the driveway. Beyond, a "moon gate" made out of steel welcomes one to a path in the woods where a suspension bridge provides a connection to a mile walk to nearby waterfalls.
Persons associated with the garden include members of the Jenks Family (former owners, until 1977); Carl and Mary Jane Mielke (former owners, until 1997); Brian Sprague (sculptor).
Related Materials:
Moments related holdings consist of 1 folder (27 digital images)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Topic:
Gardens -- Pennsylvania -- North East  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File PA823
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Pennsylvania
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6aa4d6fa6-eda7-43da-8b37-e401c54dc2e2
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref16493