My Favorite Garden Series

The Gardens at Hever Castle

  The gardens at Hever Castle, in Kent England will always have a special place in my heart. Hever Castle was Anne Boleyn's childhood home, but it wasn't until 1903 when William Waldorf Astor bought the castle that the gardens began to become the jewel that they are. The rose garden there is to die for, and the kids had a blast running around and getting lost in the Yew Maze. 

  We visited Hever Castle 10 years ago, during a trip to England visiting family and friends. I was right in the middle of my studies at GWU, and couldn't visit enough gardens. At Hever, I was enchanted by the lush borders, the woodland walks filled with rhododendrons, the formal gardens with their shaped topiary. I wanted to wallow in it. But my kids had had enough. My son Will - 8 at the time - loudly protested as I begged for more time, "Mom, no more gardens! Or shoot me dead and hang me from this tree!" 

  Hever, is special alright and worthy of a visit, but it's my favorite garden because I still crack up to this day recalling that memory. www.hevercastle.co.uk/visit/gardens.

Kathryn Everett 

www.everettgardendesigns.com

"Bill (Winston): You did - as always - a wonderful job this year for us...you bring creativity, a high degree of service and customization, great presentation materials and general flexibility and good cheer to every project. We are lucky to be working with you! - Kathryn."

 

If you have a favorite garden let us know!

The View from the Top Floor...

  Over the years, Outdoor Illumination has been fortunate to work on a number of elite rooftop gardens at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Planted Earth Landscaping ( www.plantedearthlandscaping.com) won Gold Award of Excellence from the National Association of Landscape Professionals ( www.landscapeprofessionals.org) at their national conference in Louisville in October of 2018. 

  These dramatic landscapes are hard earned. The only access was via a freight elevator as a crane could only reach the opposite side of the building. Building management dictated that work could occur only between 9 AM and 3 PM, and on many days there were noise limitations. The project lasted for 3 months, starting in a frigid February. The metal pergola with Ipe slats was built off site in pieces that could fit in the elevator to be assembled on site. 

  Planted Earth has worked closely with Jeff Plusen ( www.plusen.com) on many spectacular projects throughout the region. Jeff's work is transformative, regardless of whether it's in terra firma or on the top floor. 

  Matt Taylor designed the lighting in response to the client's desire for a streamlined contemporary feel in the outdoor spaces. Employing recessed mini marker lighting in the Ipe deck and step areas, compact up/down sconces on the pergola structure and LED tape light mounted in a custom channel uniformly washing the ornamental grasses. Matt anchored the space with up lighting of the ornamental trees, plus subtle down lighting from the pergola. Our team experienced similar challenges in executing the lighting. 

  According to Chris Vedrani of Planted Earth "...fortunately the client was very relaxed and friendly". Thanks to a great client and the careful coordination of a variety of leaders in our industry, this project was an A+, and it deservedly earned the highest award from our industry's national organization.

Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry

  In early March, Outdoor Illumination of DC/MD/VA travelled to Wilmington NC to join Outdoor Illumination of Carolina and Moonlighting ( www.moonlightinglls.com) to help in the ongoing restoration of coastal North Carolina in the wake of the damage caused by Hurricane Florence in 2018. 

  Zac Karr, Luis Bolanos, Lex Mota, and Esvin Alvarez and others worked with WARM ( www.warmnc.org) to help rebuild a home owned by a lovely older couple in an underserved area along Carolina Beach Road. Our teams rebuilt stairs, improved weather sealing, trimmed potentially hazardous limbs from trees, and cleaned up the site. 

  We are pleased to have made a small contribution to improving the living conditions of those who have suffered and are less financially and physically able to perform this work themselves. www.outdoorilluminationnc.com 

 We look forward to continuing our efforts in the seasons to come.

  For years, Outdoor Illumination has proudly worked with Campion Hruby Landscape Architects ( www.campionhruby.com)  on spectacular landscapes throughout MD/DC/VA. We were fortunate to work on two projects that are featured in a tour THIS Saturday (June 8) hosted by the Cultural Landscape Foundation ( www.tclf.org/garden-dialogues-2019-washington-dc-and-fairfax-va) . This image is from the DC garden. There are continuing education credits available. Come join us!