Garden Share Sunday: Dumbarton Oaks

-
dumbarton45a

The world has become such an ugly place this past year. I no longer watch TV news and it is about all I can do to keep up with social media as it is just one impending doom post after another. I know I should be keeping up with important issues but my mental health says otherwise. To escape from this drudgery, I usually find refuge in the garden, physically and mentally. When I can't get out into my own garden or visit others, photographs and books do the trick.

Another reason is that I just heard we could get 8 inches of snow tonight! Enough already!

While organizing some photos this past week, I realized that I have visited a lot of gardens in this country! Why not kick off the week (or if you prefer, the end of the week) with a soothing image of a spectacular garden? 

I begin with Dumbarton Oaks, probably my favorite garden. I have only had the chance to visit it once and that was ten years ago. It is hard to select just one image but I am very fond of The Terrace Garden. This garden was designed by Beatrix Farrand. For more photos, see my earlier blog post or my Flickr album.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

outlawgardener said…
Your spectacular image is a fabulous way to begin/end the week.
February 5, 2017 at 7:46 AM
Aaron said…
Nice pics, Phillip.

(I checked out the Flickr album.)

The garden is actually a little (OK, a lot) formal for my tastes, but that curvaceous staircase - va va voom! :)

PS - Hang in there. I'm sure spring will be here before you know it. And the snow is supposed to be great for plants (both for protection from winter cold and nice slow irrigation as it melts).
February 5, 2017 at 9:27 AM
Lisa at Greenbow said…
I feel much the same way. Thank you for taking us away from it all with this beautiful photo.
February 5, 2017 at 10:32 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
I think it is the use of ornamentation that draws me to it and I love the way it is laid out. It has a fascinating history. There is an excellent book on the making of it by Susan Tamulevich.
February 5, 2017 at 10:35 AM
Jane Strong said…
Nice for a lot of reasons..

a getaway from the news
summery
old and well established
good attitude
and ... I especially like the pebble mosaics, the one with colored rocks and fruit is best
February 5, 2017 at 11:19 AM
Jane Strong said…
Garden Share Sunday. Did you make this up or is there an meme already existing? I think it is a grand idea. I hope you pursue it. I think I will add a few. The name "Garden Share" is perfect.
February 5, 2017 at 11:27 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
I just made it up - that would be super!
February 5, 2017 at 12:46 PM
Daricia said…
I like it too. I haven't posted in a while, and have quite a backlog of gardens I could feature. Maybe a photo on the occasional Sunday will help jump start me. :) Cant wait to see Dumbarton Oaks this summer. Beautiful photo.
February 5, 2017 at 2:12 PM
debsgarden said…
I have seen photos of this garden and was very impressed. Lucky you to see it in person! I also have to take the news in small doses. My philosophy is to make my little corner of the world a better place for my having been here. I try not to worry about the rest that is beyond my control.
February 5, 2017 at 4:14 PM
Anne Boykin said…
I'm on a total news ban ... I can't stay livid for 4 years. It will kill me. It's especially lonely here in the South, feeling the way I do. However, there's always the garden to look forward to! Thanks for sharing beautiful gardens you have visited.
February 5, 2017 at 7:12 PM
Alyse Lansing said…
A lovely choice Phillip--not only Dumbarton Oaks, but the Terrace Garden. I can see why you like this part of the garden so much. SO many layers to the design and the composition and the views. I am with you on the mental health need to pull away from the doom and gloom, and that gardens are a gift of refuge. I second the opinion that "Garden Share Sunday" meme is a great idea! If you start it, I'll be your biggest Sunday fan!
February 5, 2017 at 10:20 PM
Phillip Oliver said…
I know how it can be there Anne - keep your spirits up!
February 6, 2017 at 4:56 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
Daricia, I would love to see your photos.
February 6, 2017 at 5:00 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
I received your complete comments - I don't know why Blogger cannot display all of them. Anyway, that is thrilling that you studied this in landscape design school. I am very envious - I think if I had discovered gardening earlier, I would have pursued that profession. I just love it.
February 6, 2017 at 5:06 AM
organicgardendreams said…
Hi Phillip, I feel pretty much the same like you do about the state of the world right now! I also struggle with how much bad news I should confront myself daily and the garden and even my blog truly has become a refuge now more than ever.
I haven't heard about Dumbarton Oaks and I am curious to check it out. The staircase and its landscaping is truly spectacular and you took a wonderful photo of it.
Hope you can get into your own garden soon again and get your hands dirty!
Warm regards,
Christina
February 6, 2017 at 2:11 PM
Alyse Lansing said…
I am inspired by people who love gardens and gardening. It's so easy to get "lost" and entrenched, jaded; others' passion reminds me of the heart. The essence minus the noise. So, thank you for that :).
March 25, 2017 at 2:03 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pruning & Transplanting Clematis (and other plants)

-
Image
Ah, the clematis, one of the most beautiful and frustrating of plants. I counted five books on my shelf devoted to them, and I still have to consult them every year when it is time to prune. This year I'm doing something new - moving a few that are obviously not doing well (lack of sun, more than likely). I'm worried about one of my favorites - 'Jackmanii Superba'.  First, I had to dig it up when the new gate was constructed. This clematis was massive, and the bottom stalk looked like a small tree. I divided it to give a piece to my neighbor. Somewhere along the way, it was cut back all the way down to the trunk . I'm still asking myself how this happened.  Only time will tell if I've killed the poor thing.  It has been replanted, and so far, no signs of life. Others that I decided to move were not subjected to that abuse and were moved immediately after I dug them up.  This is 'Etoile Violette'. This rampant variety was along the front fence and it alwa...
Read more

Winter Projects

-
Image
Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph' I was really too harsh in my last post concerning the weather. It has actually been a very mild winter, and looking back, I see that I have completed several projects. The first, back in November, was a redo of the twig fence. This has been an ongoing project that has left me unsatisfied. At the beginning, I just piled the twigs up, along an existing chain fence, and soon realized that they would never stand on their own. Critters (squirrels!) continually knocked twigs out of the arrangement, but over time, it was simply gravity that caused problems. I used various methods to try and keep the twigs in place, including using wire to tie them and fence posts to brace them. All temporary solutions. Gravity always reared its ugly head.  At the end of summer, I decided on a different approach. The sheer weight of the twigs made a deep wall impractical, so I decided to construct a shallower fence and secure it with a stronger support.  This is how it l...
Read more

Ruby Tuesday's Strawberry Tall Cake

-
Image
Much to my dismay, I have cut back on sugar consumption. Difficult, because I love sweet treats, but on the other hand, I want to be a healthier person. I still like to bake and I've just discovered  "Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen"  on You Tube and enjoying it very much. That said, I normally make a dessert at least once per week, but I try to have only a piece or two, and share the rest. Going through some of my cookbooks, I came across a series of books by Todd Wilbur, who reproduces recipes from popular chain restaurants.  In the first volume, I saw the Ruby Tuesday Strawberry Tall Cake and remembered that it was a favorite of ours. I haven't visited a Ruby Tuesday in ages and I don't know if they still serve this. I decided to give it a try and it turned out pretty good. The photo I took doesn't show the cake layers and is not a very good representation, but you get the idea. Actually, we thought the best way to eat this was in a bowl, kind of like a t...
Read more