United States of America -- West Virginia -- Kanawha -- Charleston
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets and historical information.
General:
Although the 1949 white clapboard house was sited far back from the road one of the principle aims of the garden design for this approximately one acre property has been to provide privacy from the road and from neighboring properties. Beginning work in 1988 the owners developed new garden areas by: adding hardscape features including a deck behind the house and newly-designed curved wall patios in front of the house, grading to direct water run-off away from the house and garden beds, re-purposing a small former playhouse as a potting shed at the end of a new bluestone path, and installing an irrigation system. Then more extensive plantings could be installed, focusing on creating four seasons of interest, using more native plants, attracting songbirds, butterflies and wildlife, developing a seamless tapestry of all the garden areas, and providing views of the vernacular garden from the house, patios, covered porch and deck. The view from the street was also considered and a timber terraced perennial bed was installed on the street side of the shrub screen bed.
A small oval perennial bed in front of the house was enlarged to wrap around the side of the house, forming an L-shaped shrub, rose and mixed perennial garden. Pansies provide winter bloom, followed by spring bulbs, peonies, spireas and iris. In summer and fall perennials include day-lilies, bee balm, hibiscus and Shasta daisies. Shrub roses were added to the old roses from previous plantings that were re-positioned. Another smaller L-shaped bed along the side driveway includes a tower of stacked large flower pots that are planted with seasonal annuals. A shade border follows the curve of the other patio and because this side of the house is downhill and wetter plantings include red twig dogwoods and marsh marigolds. Two large oasis flower beds were installed around trees in the front lawn, a crimson king maple and a mature oak, with hellebores for winter, and narcissus, ferns, hostas, and Japanese anemones for successive blooms and foliage.
The roadside garden has a screen of native cedars, forsythias, hydrangeas and lilacs, under-planted with hostas, perennial hibiscus and daffodils. A white garden that can be viewed across the lawn from the house at the end of the day includes a white flowering redbud tree, white bleeding heart, woodland phlox, wood asters, candytuft and tiarella. The potting shed garden was overgrown with shrubs and vines that were cleared away, to be replaced by transplanted rhododendrons and a tree peony, perennials and hydrangeas as well as the bluestone path, a native stone wall, and a bench. At the back of the house the entire back yard was regraded and had drains installed, the latticework under the deck was replaced with planters, and a stone patio was built for sitting in the perennial and shrub garden with roses that is bordered by boxwood. At the back end of the property there is a wooded area with a ravine.
Persons associated with the garden include Charles and Mary Frances Brooks (former owners, 1947-1954); George and Patty Jones Jr. (former owners, 1954-1987); Lynne Schwartz-Barker (landscape designer, 2002-2015); Mark Blumenstein (sculptor); Jeff Fetty (sculptor).
Related Materials:
Jones Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (10 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 -- West Virginia -- Charleston Search this
Collection Citation:
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.
The multi-acre property along the Little Blanco River was ranched and farmed for five generations by members of the Birdseil family before the current owners acquired it and began renovating a native stone house, a half-timbered and adobe house, and outbuildings for their ranching and a quarter horse operation. The gardens they have installed include native plants and other species adapted to a generally hot and dry climate with unpredictable rainfall. The modernized buildings, outbuildings, stone wall and fencing blend with the landscape and make use of native cedar, rocks and fossils found on the property. Shade is provided by fig trees planted by the owners, live oaks and arbors constructed of rough cedar logs. A native garden to the east of the main house includes Mexican plum, native persimmon, acacia, Mexican salvia, agave cactus and prickly pear. On the south side of the house a bird sanctuary and herb garden contain more drought tolerant salvias, daisies, prairie clovers, silver germander, allium, rosemary, thyme and sage, with an old livestock watering trough now used by birds. A bird bath centers a circular old-fashioned garden with beds of larkspur, poppies, catnip, Shasta daisies, old roses, salvia, gaura and euphorbia. Stockade fences are draped in morning glory and queen's crown vine, another native plant.
Along the entrance road there is a circa 1870 cemetery with the remains of six members of a pioneer family that drowned trying to cross the Little Blanco River.
Persons associated with the garden include: Herbert Bindseil and members of the Bindseil family (former owners, 1860-1991), Joe Brooks (architect, 1991-present), Sarah Westkaemper Lake (landscape designer, 2000-present).
Related Materials:
Diamond G. J. Ranch related holdings consist of 1 folder (24 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.
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.
Eastern Pacific Coast District, Skagway Quadrangle. Leaf mold on floor of Sitka spruce slope, Shasta Point, east of Haines., Alaska, United States, North America
1 Slides (photographs) (glass lantern, col., 3 x 5 in.)
Type:
Archival materials
Slides (photographs)
Date:
circa 1905-1930
General note:
Chrysanthemum x superbum - Shasta Daisy.
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.
