Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Former owner:
Underwood, Julian  Search this
Underwood, Suzanne  Search this
Architect:
Underwood, Julian  Search this
Garden designer:
Underwood, Suzanne  Search this
Gardener:
Brum, John  Search this
Sculptor:
Atwater, Nate  Search this
Smith, Nancy Train  Search this
Rudnicki, Ron  Search this
Construction:
Gonet, Walter  Search this
Provenance:
Garden Club of Buzzards Bay  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
The Underwood Garden (South Dartmouth, Massachusetts)
United States of America -- Massachusetts -- Bristol -- South Dartmouth
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets and photocopies of original plans and an article.
Biographical / Historical:
Suzanne Marjorie Stockard Underwood (1917-2001) was one of the first women to graduate with a master's degree in 1943 from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University in Cambridge. She was a pioneering modernist architect who worked with Marcel Breuer drafting and building models. In addition to practicing architecture, she was a skilled landscape designer.
General:
Gardened by the same family since 1949 this 1.3 acre property with a "modern colonial style" house on stilts designed by the original owner features trees and shrubs. The temperatures at the coastal New England location are moderated by its proximity to water but the garden is subjected to high winds, salt air and, originally, thin rocky soil that was improved with homemade compost. The garden was planned for year round interest with trees and shrubs that would flower or fruit every month and conifers and broad leaved evergreens for winter. Lower limbs on some of the trees were removed to open the view to the bay, and the house was raised on stilts for the same reason. There are winding grassy paths throughout the gardens with narrow stone paths leading to the front door of the house and to the formal sunken garden. Many of the boxwood, hollies, junipers and rhododendron were rooted cuttings planted in the 1950's that have grown to full size while dwarf conifers have outgrown their cultivar status.
The planned succession of bloom times for this garden started in spring with magnolias and andomedas, followed by azaleas, crabapple and dogwood, then Japanese snowbell, hydrangeas and stewartia. Sourwood bloomed in august, franklinia in September, roses would continue blooming into November, and hollies provided color and decorative material in December. Specimen trees that are featured include blue China fir, dawn redwood, paperbark maple, a red jade crabapple, and several cut leaved red Japanese maples. Vegetable and rose gardens, irises and some perennial flowers have been added to the tree and shrub gardens over the years.
Persons associated with the garden include Julian and Suzanne Underwood (former owners, 1949-2001) Joan Underwood (current owner (2001- ); Suzanne Stockard Underwood (architect and garden designer, 1949-2001); Julian Underwood (architect, circa 1948); John Brum (gardener, 1960's-); Nate Atwater (sculptor, prior to 1985); Nancy Train Smith (sculptor, prior to 1999); Ron Rudnicki (sculptor of fish pond, 2003); Walter Gonet (garden shed construction, 1995).
Related Materials:
The Underwood Garden related holdings consist of 1 folders (18 35mm slides (photographs); 17 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 -- Massachusetts -- South Dartmouth  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File MA321
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Massachusetts
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb676ff0360-ce08-40fd-91cb-e759e1fb8e84
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref17662