United States of America -- Connecticut -- Litchfield County -- Sharon
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes a worksheet and abbreviated garden plan.
General:
Cobble Pond Farm comprises 250 acres with meadows, wetlands, a 22-acre pond that was lined with granite blocks, or cobbles, from an abandoned castle, a sunken garden, a formal Italianate secret garden, long herbaceous perennial borders, a sugar maple and dogwood allée, a cutting and vegetable garden, and farm animals including Aberdeen Angus cows and rescued horses, donkeys and llamas. The original garden was designed beginning circa 1930 by landscape architects Percival Gallagher and Edward Clark Whiting from the Olmsted Brothers firm. The Olmsted plan blends the formality of a European garden with the bucolic landscape of the surrounding areas. Within the formal areas there are broad lawns, stone footpaths and low stone walls defining the garden rooms.
Although the garden was severely overgrown in some places and unplanted in others the current owners discovered old plans and researched the original garden before commencing to recreate it. The formal garden rooms were planted in a more contemporary style with perennials and shrubs rather than the bedding annuals from the original plans, and the old flagstone walkways were replaced with bluestone. The Italianate garden is centered with a fountain and divided into four quadrants with hedges of clipped yew. Nearby stands an apple orchard and a pergola planted with wisteria and climbing hydrangeas. The sunken garden is anchored at one end by a one-hundred year old copper beech and contains two topiary lilacs, clematis, hydrangeas, and climbing roses. In spring the cutting garden's rectangular beds are filled with the bright colors of daffodils and tulips while the summer brings on more muted colors, featuring sambucus black lace and a weeping katsura tree.
Outbuildings include a garden hospital for plants needing attention. The surrounding woodlands were the source for the mature sugar maples in the allée, and saplings are still being transplanted to the formal garden areas. The summer house built in the 1920s was named Tintern Abbey after the poem by William Wordsworth.
Persons associated with the property include: James Punnett (former owner, ca. 1905); the Schwab Family (former owners, 1905-1921); Harold A. and Margaret Milliken Hatch (former owner, 1921-1981); James T. and Kathleen M. Metz (former owners, 1981-1986); Kathleen M. Metz (former owner, 1986-1992); Huntington and Kildare, Inc. (former owners, 1992 - 2002); Olmsted Brothers (landscape architects, 1929-1950); Fred McGourty (horticulturist,1984 - 2003); Marsha Kaufman (horticulturist, 2001 to date); Harold A. Hoyt (landscape gardener, 1983); Agnes K. Dzenutis (landscape designer and gardener, 1984-1999); Dave Enos (gardener and greenskeeper, 1995); Heathcote M. Woolsey (architect, 1946); David Colbert (sculptor, 1999).
Related Materials:
Cobble Pond Farm related holdings consist of 1 folder (33 35 mm. slides and 37 digital images)
Records related to this site can be found at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, Olmsted Job Number 09045, Harold A. Hatch.
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.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
