Owner's Painting Background
SINCE SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL, SUSAN ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PAINTER. Her
parents were avid gardeners and she grew up working in the garden -
weeding, watering, whatever needed to be done. When it can time to go
to college, although she still wanted to be a painter, her parents were
concerned that making a living would be difficult. So, she combined
painting with a fine arts degree so she would have an improved prospect
of getting a job after graduating. Her first job was at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, because she had always wanted to work
there, but after 2 years she realized that although she loved the work
she would rather be painting. She went back to painting, raised a
family, but as the kids got older she was able to spend more time
painting and working on designs. At this point she was painting and
drawing and hoping to have a show and get her artwork into the public.
It was much harder than she imagined. After about 5 years a friend,
who's an interior decorator, said design is all about shape, color and
pattern. Why not put that on fabric? It would be fabulous. Although
Susan hadn't thought of it before she was surprised at how much she
liked it and how effective it was. Her she could put her designs on
fabric and get them out more broadly in the world, which was attractive
and still is.
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Dahlias
DAHLIA 'BISHOP OF LIANFAFF' IS A FAVORITE. When Diane first talked with
Susan about this garden she presented her with a couple different
plants, some were reds and oranges, some were pinks. They decided they
wanted a variety of everything. They choose Dahlias in every color
range, in every form and every size. This bed was designed to hold all
of them. They over winter them inside. When deciding which to keep they
take into consideration those that formed really well and those with
colors that were the most appealing.
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The Front of the House
JOE AND DIANE NEXT VISIT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE. It is welcoming and
inviting. They wanted this area to be particularly whimsical, it was
intended to appear as a seaside cottage. The plantings were chosen
because of their ability to reflect that. Diane and Susan wanted
something in color from spring through fall and they've included
evergreens for winter interest. Thus, textures and bloom times were an
important consideration. The plants in bloom now are all white, and
that was by design. Susan requested white. White is a color one sees
particularly well at night, which works well in terms of entertaining.
Click here for more info
Dinner Plate Hibiscus
DIANE HAS PLANTED WHITE HIBISCUS AS A FRONT FOUNDATION PLANTING. It's a
whimsical plant called Hibiscus 'Dinner plate.' It's very different
from the shrub Hibiscus which they have located on the corners of the
house. Susan requested these because she wanted to use them in her
paintings and fabric design.
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The Back of the House
THEY NEXT VISIT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE and it has a completely different
look and feel. That of course dictates a completely different set of
rules when designing the area. The front was whimsical, the windows
were up high and had window boxes. When inside one can't easily look
outside. But the back side is completely open, the windows go all the
way to the ground and provide an incredible view of Long Island Sound.
Accordingly the back terrace is really a part of the interior of the
house. Because of that and because the inside of the house is very
contemporary in feel and furnishings they kept the outside contemporary
meaning the plant selection was somewhat limited. Diane kept the plants
monochromatic and used only a few types of plants.
Click here for more info
The Lowest Part of the Garden
THEY NEXT MOVE TO THE LOWEST PART OF THE GARDEN. This area is closest
to the water and when looking up Joe knows that slope created
interesting problems. This was the most difficult part of the property
to deal with. At the very bottom they previously had a wall that had
vines growing on it and they were doing fine. Above that were remnants
of a Taxus baccata (Yew) hedge. They decided to supplement and enhance
it, otherwise when coming down the hill one might have toppled down a 3
foot high wall.
Click here for more info
LINKS:
Show #14/1201. Gardens On Long Island Sound
Complete transcript of the show.
The inspiration for our landscape designs can come from many different
sources. Fabric design similarly comes from unique situations. In this
show we meet a very talented artist that finds the inspiration for her
fabric designs in her landscape. And both are stunning. Her exquisite
home in Connecticut, situated on the water, has gardening ideas all can
utilize.
SINCE SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL, SUSAN ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PAINTER. Her
parents were avid gardeners and she grew up working in the garden -
weeding, watering, whatever needed to be done. When it can time to go
to college, although she still wanted to be a painter, her parents were
concerned that making a living would be difficult. So, she combined
painting with a fine arts degree so she would have an improved prospect
of getting a job after graduating. Her first job was at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, because she had always wanted to work
there, but after 2 years she realized that although she loved the work
she would rather be painting. She went back to painting, raised a
family, but as the kids got older she was able to spend more time
painting and working on designs. At this point she was painting and
drawing and hoping to have a show and get her artwork into the public.
It was much harder than she imagined. After about 5 years a friend,
who's an interior decorator, said design is all about shape, color and
pattern. Why not put that on fabric? It would be fabulous. Although
Susan hadn't thought of it before she was surprised at how much she
liked it and how effective it was. She could put her designs on
fabric and get them out more broadly in the world, which was attractive
and still is. Today her company makes home furnishings out of the
fabric. One could recover a couch or chair, they make ice buckets,
Kleenex holders, frames, pajamas, towels, dog beds and dog leashes with
their designs. Joe likes her art work and notices that they are
inspired by flora and fauna.
Susan still loves gardening and she has
some beautiful gardens which are her inspiration. Outside one sees Long
Island Sound and their beautiful home. It had always been her dream to
live on the water. The water and gardens are a huge influence in her
paintings and colorings. When they bought this house there was a very
formal house on the property. They initially figured they could work
with it but the foundation was leaning and was so bad they had to scrap
it. They were then able to build a home that is more like she and her
husband. It is less formal and she hopes, very inviting and warm, as
well as great looking. Inside it has a lot of barnwood, antique floors
and big open rooms. It's easy for large groups to move around and they
love to entertain. They have school groups and charity events often,
it's a wonderful house for those type occasions.
Joe is anxious to see
the gardens and Susan suggests he go and meet Diane Devore, the
landscape architect and talent behind the beautiful gardens. Diane has an undergraduate degree in horticulture and a Master's in
Landscape Architecture. Oddly a lot of people that are Landscape
Architects don't have degrees in horticulture. It's not always a
prerequisite. This property emphasizes the importance of a strong
horticultural background because in order to create diversity and
different gardens one needs that knowledge.
This property is very interesting, it is located on a little cove off
Long Island Sound, which is just off the Atlantic Ocean. The Sound
mitigates the climate or weather here. Spring is a little bit longer in
coming because the water is so cold but the fall is longer, the frost
is delayed, because the water extends the season. In the winter because
it's salt water it doesn't freeze allowing Diane to utilize plants here
that can't be used in much of the surrounding area. She has a much
broader spectrum of plant material she can work with here versus
elsewhere in the state. Diane plans her designs based on what blooms
when, so understanding the location is essential.
Top
DAHLIA 'BISHOP OF LIANFAFF' IS A FAVORITE. When Diane first talked with
Susan about this garden she presented her with a couple different
plants, some were reds and oranges, some were pinks. They decided they
wanted a variety of everything. They choose Dahlias in every color
range, in every form and every size. This bed was designed to hold all
of them. They over winter them inside. When deciding which to keep they
take into consideration those that formed really well and those with
colors that were the most appealing. They tag those, bring them in and
over-winter them. They're still experimenting with Dahlias, they added
some this season and will take a look at those and decide which ones to
keep.
When they dig up the Dahlias they then plant Tulips so that in
the spring there is a splash of color. Here again, they plant all
different forms and sizes. After those have finished they pull them out
and put in the Dahlias. Dahlias are a great plant that grow in most
parts of the country. In Connecticut, they dig the tubers up, in the
south the tubers might make it through the winter in the ground.
Tubers are sprouts which form from underground roots. There are so many
types of Dahlias and Joe believes all are beautiful, therefore they
should be included in every garden. The Dahlia bed is bordered with Buxus sempervirens (Boxwood) which adds structure to the garden. There are Boxwood ovals in 4 areas defining the area and providing structure. Even if the Dahlias or Tulips are falling over there is still structure to the garden.
Top
JOE AND DIANE NEXT VISIT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE. It is welcoming and
inviting. They wanted this area to be particularly whimsical, it was
intended to appear as a seaside cottage. The plantings were chosen
because of their ability to reflect that. Diane and Susan wanted
something in color from spring through fall and they've included
evergreens for winter interest. Thus, textures and bloom times were an
important consideration. The plants in bloom now are all white, and
that was by design. Susan requested white. White is a color one sees
particularly well at night, which works well in terms of entertaining.
Another thing considered, because this is Connecticut and on the shore,
pale pinks and pale blues tend to get washed out. White is a stronger
color. To add interest Diane focused on leaf texture and how that
texture worked in combination with other plants. The texture of the
leaves is increasingly important when sticking with one color, in this
case white, because one can no longer use color to carry the eye
throughout the garden. And, that is an important principle to apply, no
matter what the color of the flower.
The front of the house has a window box on every window. They were
important and part of the design from the beginning. The idea was that
they add warmth to the house, they also add a seaside quality. They
also allow one to add color and soften the pale grey tone. The white
flowers play very well against the grey background and add to the
welcoming feel. These window boxes are a simple wood box. Normally one
would have a liner inside, in this case they have copper liners with
drain holes. But one could use plastic liners that are normally found
at hardware stores. Irrigation is often a concern. Of course, one could
just open the window to water. The other option and the one used here
is to use a very clear tubing that can be run up the walls and
installed inside each window box. In this case they knew from the
beginning that they needed irrigation for the window boxes so they ran
the tubing inside the siding and it then leads outside to the box
itself. This makes for easy plant maintenance.
Top
DIANE HAS PLANTED WHITE HIBISCUS AS A FRONT FOUNDATION PLANTING. It's a
whimsical plant called Hibiscus 'Dinner plate.' It's very different
from the shrub Hibiscus which they have located on the corners of the
house. Susan requested these because she wanted to use them in her
paintings and fabric design. There are a number of unusual plants
dotted throughout this area, there are perennials that typically
wouldn't be used in the front of a house. They're scattered throughout
and Susan uses them for inspiration. These Hibiscus are perennials so
in the fall they die back. At that point they cut them to the ground
but they come back the next spring. Presently they are staked because
of the wind.
Diane has also planted shrub Roses in the area. Many people are
familiar with hybrid Roses but the white shrub roses are a nice
addition. They bloom all summer long and they're not high maintenance.
They're really a shrub rose, not the standard Hybrid T and they've
performed very well. Particularly considering the salt air. Possibly
because of the wind movement, they've experienced no black spot.
They've been a great performer and a nice contrast to the Hibiscus
blooms. And importantly they have very different leaf textures.
Top
THEY NEXT VISIT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE and it has a completely different
look and feel. That of course dictates a completely different set of
rules when designing the area. The front was whimsical, the windows
were up high and had window boxes. When inside one can't easily look
outside. But the back side is completely open, the windows go all the
way to the ground and provide an incredible view of Long Island Sound.
Accordingly the back terrace is really a part of the interior of the
house. Because of that and because the inside of the house is very
contemporary in feel and furnishings they kept the outside contemporary
meaning the plant selection was somewhat limited. Diane kept the plants
monochromatic and used only a few types of plants. In addition to that
they have a rather narrow terrace, so they had few areas for sitting.
Therefore they put in some steps that lead down to a small viewing area
which is on center with the door. This area provides an excellent view.
The first plant they discuss in this area is Lavendula x intermedia.
The color lavender in this setting is stunning. The silver gray color
seems to evoke the seaside, it's very monochromatic and beautiful. When
walking by and brushing the plant or even a slight breeze brings out
the fragrance which is fabulous. This plant grows better in some parts
of the country than in others. It does well here. But they did need to
prep for it. To plant this they put about 6 inches of gravel
underneath, then mixed in topsoil and compost resulting in a very light
mix. Lavender hates to have wet feet thus the planting method. Last
winter was tough and they lost several plants. That's why they now have
Alyssum. It's filling the gap as the Lavender starts to fill out again.
Diane does think that the Alyssum is adding a nice touch of color and
it compliments the Lavender so they might use it again in the future.
Diane shows us a taller plant but it is not in front of a window. It's
another Hibiscus, but very different from those in the front of the
house. The plants in the front were white, this is yellow. It is a
tropical plant so it cannot stay out during winter, then it is brought
into the greenhouse. Diane thinks it important to notice the proportion
between the pot and the plant. The pot should always be 1/3 and the
plant 2/3. By keeping this ratio one makes sure the pot is big enough
for the plant. However the size of the pot doesn't ensure the plant
won't blow over. This area gets a lot of wind and they lost several
plants at the beginning. They then decided to wire the Hibiscus to the
house when put outside in the spring and they've now been successfully
growing here for 2 years.
Top
THEY NEXT MOVE TO THE LOWEST PART OF THE GARDEN. This area is closest
to the water and when looking up Joe knows that slope created
interesting problems. This was the most difficult part of the property
to deal with. At the very bottom they previously had a wall that had
vines growing on it and they were doing fine. Above that were remnants
of a Taxus baccata (Yew) hedge. They decided to supplement and enhance
it, otherwise when coming down the hill one might have toppled down a 3
foot high wall. As well, a lot of towns will allow a 2 foot wide
planting in front of a wall, that will act as a guard rail, and this
will often pass town and state codes. In this case they were far away
from the house and the Yew hedge worked perfectly. But, above that was
an extremely steep slope, over 50% slope. Plus there is salt water and
salt air as well as wind to deal with and all are difficult. At first,
they tried a meadow planting but there was too much erosion, heavy
rains kept washing away the seed. Thus they opted for Rosa rigosa and
it has done incredibly well. One often thinks of Rosa rigosa in seaside
communities, in Martha's Vineyard it is all along the shore. It is also
known as a Seaside Rose, it's light pink, has a wonderful fragrance and
big beautiful rosehips in the fall. They added a few Buddleia davidii
(Butterfly Bush) to add interest up above. They're trying to look at
this area as a meadow area but are first attempting to get a shrub
layer to start taking over. It's a transition space right now. But
still looks beautiful.
Not only are they trying to find plants that work in this space but
additionally they have plants that are trying to move into this space.
The plant is Phyragmites and it has become very invasive in the
northeast, all along the shore areas. Salt water seems to be the only
thing that controls it and then only when it is flooding the area. It
was starting to take over the lawn area. They initially used a chemical
to knock it back but now that it's under control they put in a few
hedges and they've begun seeding and mowing. Through constant mowing
they've kept the Phragmites at bay and the most they can hope for at
this point is for the Sound to really fill in, the salt water to return
to where it was and this will eventually disappear.
Joe feels after looking at this property and Diane's other projects
that she does a great job of blending the architecture of the house
with her landscape design. Diane was concerned that when she first
described these gardens to Joe that he would think it was going to be a
hodge podge because there were so many different types of gardens. And
when one thinks about it there are many different gardens. For example,
there is a Dahlia garden by Susan's studio and that relates to Susan's
studio, in the front of the house there is a very whimsical seaside
look and that relates to the front of the house and not only does it
relate to the house but the rooms inside, but the back of the house is
more modernistic and when in those rooms, which are more contemporary
looking out what one is viewing works with that environment. One would
never put a loose vegetable garden off of a formal dining room. It
wouldn't work with that formal setting. Diane thinks one should create
gardens that work with each individual room plus the garden should
reflect the architecture of the house. Once you start working within
that framework it will allow you to develop a number of different
gardens based upon your own interests, whether that be vegetables and
herbs or flowers. And that is Diane's take-away. Design gardens after
understanding the look of the rooms that overlook your gardens as well
as considering the architecture of your home. Joe likes those ideas and feels they've been well stated. Diane has been wonderful to work with, very creative, very knowledgeable and communicates her craft very well.
Thank you Diane, this has been a wonderful experience. As an example of how captivating this property has been, after photography was complete our cameraman asked for just a few minutes so he could sit down, take in the surroundings and really appreciate this home and garden. It's been a wonderful experience.
Top
LINKS:
