Your Garden Club of Virginia Restoration Newsletter is Here!

June 2021 Issue 18

Dear Friends,

What a glorious and welcome spring we are experiencing! The Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week was a huge success and featured 102 private gardens throughout the Commonwealth. In addition, the HGW Guidebook highlighted each of your properties as a “Place of Interest” and we hope that you are seeing increased visitation as a result. Almost all tours were complete sellouts even though our ticket sales had to be limited due to Covid-19 restrictions. It is an indication of the desire we all have to be out with others enjoying the beauty of nature.

Newsletter Editor Clarkie Eppes has compiled articles that we hope you will find informative, inspirational and useful as a tool in the maintenance of your properties. Each of you brings such talent to your profession and we ask that you please share your thoughts and discoveries with us so we can include them in future issues. Through this biannual newsletter, we can share our experiences and knowledge in the interest of good stewardship of the historic gardens of Virginia.

Thank you for all that you do to protect, beautify and maintain our wonderful heritage.

Best,

Betsy Worthington

Chairman, Garden Club of Virginia Restoration Committee

The Lynchburg Garden Club

Featured Historic Property

Bacon's Castle Garden

Discovered more than 35 years ago, the garden at Bacon’s Castle, in Surry, Va., remains unique to this day as an extraordinary survival of 17th-century Virginia. In the mid-1980s, the APVA (now Preservation Virginia), with funding provided by the Garden Club of Virginia, commissioned the James River Institute for Archaeology Inc., to conduct an archaeological excavation of the traditional garden area in the west yard at Bacon’s Castle. The archaeology team, working under the guidance of an advisory committee that included two of the most prominent archaeologists in the country, the late Ivor Noel Hume and Dr. William Kelso, who uncovered a virtually intact, late 17th-century, 1.5-acre garden plan.

Created between c.1680-1690 during the tenure of Arthur Allen II, also known as Major Allen, the garden featured six large central planting beds surrounded on three sides with a border bed. A brick forcing wall stood at the north end of the garden to direct sunlight onto two small starter beds. Trenches of compacted white sand formed the central and cross paths. The garden was raised about 9 inches above the contemporary grade by laying down innumerable loads of dark brown loam to create a rich planting layer. Such a massive undertaking likely could only have been carried out by a wealthy planter with a sizable number of workers like Major Allen.

Below the northeast corner of the garden was a 20’ by 30’ building with a brick-lined cellar. Apart from being situated on the edge of the garden, bell glass fragments, including rim sherds from several different sizes of cloches, were discovered radiating out into the garden from the southwest corner of the building suggesting it was adjunct to the garden. While the cellared garden building seems utilitarian in nature, at least two small structures along the west side of the garden were ornamental. The best preserved of the 10’ by 12’ structures was a “U”-shaped footprint with partially intact brick foundations. The open end of the structure was closest to the garden while brickwork at the opposite side indicated there was a 3’-wide turf seat against the back wall that faced the garden. It appears that the only reasonable interpretation of this footprint is that it represents a modified version of medieval pleasure garden exedras (sitting areas) that typically had a bench along all three sides of the structure.

The garden was reduced in size c. 1820 when a fence was erected around only the six core planting beds, suggesting that the starting beds and border beds were no longer being used. At the same time, the garden building was abandoned and its cellar filled in. Still present in 1871, the Bacon’s Castle garden was abandoned sometime in the 1880s or 1890s.

Nicholas M. Luccketti

Principal Archaeologist & Partner

James River Institute for Archaeology Inc.

Photo credit: Dana Parker, The Virginia Beach Garden Club

A Masterful Milestone

In 2020, Green Spring Gardens, in Alexandria, Va., turned 50. It was a year of unexpected realities and scuttled plans, so anniversary celebrations continue with articles, programs, and events that look back on the park’s first half century, and ahead to the next. Of all the milestone achievements of the past 50 years – and there were many - one of the most significant was the GCV’s restoration of key elements of the Beatrix Farrand landscape, one of the few surviving gardens of this acknowledged master of 20th-century landscape design.

In 1942, Farrand designed the landscape surrounding the 1784 house for her friends, Green Spring’s last private owners, Michael and Belinda Straight. The core feature was a simple garden room behind the house: a large grass lawn bound by a curved stone retaining wall and a crescent of American boxwood. She undertook the project at the pinnacle of her profession, as she was approaching the end of her decades-long work at Dumbarton Oaks. It was her only documented garden in Virginia and one of her last residential projects: a modest one in scope and scale for this masterful designer, yet a pure expression of her style and technique.

In 1970, the Straights gifted the property to Fairfax County. The gift marked the end of almost 200 years of private ownership of the farm turned family estate, and the beginning of its transformation into Green Spring Gardens, a thriving 31-acre public teaching garden and historic site.

By the early 2000s, Farrand’s crescent garden still retained a high level of historic integrity, but restoration was needed to ensure the survival of her plants and hardscape. William D. Rieley led the Garden Club of Virginia's restoration project, which was officially presented to the Fairfax County Park Authority on June 10, 2015. Farrand’s stone wall was restored and the boxwoods rejuvenated. Though not part of her original design, the garden’s perennial border was redesigned to reflect textures, colors, and bloom sequences that are characteristic of her designs.

The garden room restoration was a major milestone of Green Spring Gardens’ first 50 years because it ensures that hallmarks of Farrand’s work continue to be accessible to visitors for the next 50 years and beyond. It is a horticultural and historical centerpiece and an important feather in Green Spring’s 50-year-old cap. So much so that it has inspired planning for a permanent commemoration of the golden anniversary in the form of a moon gate, a traditional architectural element of ancient Chinese gardens, that will incorporate elements of Farrand’s historic landscape and will stand as a symbolic connection between the park’s past and its future. The celebrations will continue.

Deborah Waugh

Site Historian

Green Spring Gardens

Design Notes by Will Rieley

Spare the Signs: Don’t Spoil

the View

When the Restoration Committee works with a property to tackle a large project such as those recently completed at Poplar Forest and William & Mary, each property agrees to take care of it and not to change anything without consulting with the Restoration Committee. To make consistent and fair decisions, the Restoration Committee formulated a series of policies as a guide.

One of these policies discourages signs, memorial plaques or other labels in gardens and landscapes. The rationale is that signs, plaques and labels detract from the general appearance of the garden or landscape and interrupt the garden’s full visual impact on the viewer.

The importance of providing visitors with information to highlight the unique features of a historic property cannot be overestimated. Guided tours by knowledgeable docents allow a presentation tailored to each group’s particular questions. Video presentations, audio-tours, and brochures are also valuable methods for interpretation.

Of course, some signs will be necessary. For example, visitors to the property will need direction to the entrance, the location for purchasing tickets or the restrooms. There should, however, be a limited number so the signage does not compete with or obscure the historic scene. If used sparingly, they will not become litter in the landscape.

This is especially true of “books on a stick” as illustrated here. Such large signs, generally placed in front of a historically significant feature, become the main attraction, perhaps even leading visitors to focus on the sign without lifting their eyes to the scene beyond. Ideally, visitors should be able to take photographs of historic scenes without the intrusion of modern signage.

The Committee’s overall objectives are to ensure that signs are utilized minimally, that they are compatible with the special character of each site, that they are scaled appropriately, and that their presence does not harm the historic fabric. A master sign plan helps strategically locate signs and prevents unnecessary duplication. It also ensures that signs are kept to a minimum and that they are designed with consistent graphics, and link together thematically.

Signs in a historic landscape should be concise, clear, and consistent. Above all, they should be limited to those situations in which they are absolutely necessary.

William D. Rieley

GCV Landscape Architect

Rieley & Associates

Garden Maintenance

Dear Property Managers,

Many of you are already “all on board” and have implemented environmental preserving measures at home and wherever you go. We are learning together, sometimes daily, new ways to cut down on disposables. It may be no secret to you that old maxims such as “waste not, want not” are being recycled as Poor Richard’s advice made for great guidance then – and may be even more important today.

At the Garden Club of Virginia’s historic Kent-Valentine House headquarters, some Green

Guidelines include:

When entertaining at your property consider discussing with your caterer that you prefer menu options not requiring (plastic) utensils. Ask for glassware and serving plates. Use only recyclable or biodegradable plates and cups. No plastic bottles or Styrofoam.
Some of you may wish to switch to cloth hand towels instead of paper.
At night, turn off lights which are not providing security.
Also important and practical, compost pruning scraps in your historic gardens.

The Garden Club of Virginia thanks you for doing your part in protecting our environment. Our future depends on you. What is old is new again!

All the Best,

Allison Clock, GCV Conservation and Beautification Committee Chairman

The Hampton Roads Garden Club

Those Pesky Mosquitos

Mosquitos are a nuisance in the garden. In Virginia, they are active from April to late fall. Different species have arrived which can cause dangerous illnesses. Rainy weather and warm temperatures will increase their population. The predominant species in Virginia is the Asian tiger mosquito.

Mosquito control is all about moisture control. Mosquitos can breed in less than one inch of water. Standing water in the garden must be eliminated. This includes water in empty pots, pot saucers, puddles of water near the watering spigot, standing water on tarps, holes in the ground, holes in trees, gutters not draining properly, damp, shady leaf and litter piles. A good rule of thumb is to look once a week for any standing water and “tip and toss.” BTI mosquito dunks are cheap, eco-friendly, and easy to use. Place them in anything holding water such as small ornamental pools, fishbowls and bird baths. They will not harm birds, fish or pets. In pools, goldfish or koi will eat mosquito larvae. Prevent mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and pants and apply non-toxic repellents that use the oil of lemon eucalyptus. If you are seated outside, an oscillating fan is effective at blowing mosquitos away from the area. Citronella candles can help a bit as can planting marigolds, ageratum or catnip in pots.

Be careful when applying mosquito repellents with 10% to 20% DEET and apply in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling a DEET-cloud. One application should last for 5-6 hours. Spray the repellent on your hands to apply to the face, being careful of the eyes.

There has been a proliferation of small roadside signs touting companies that specialize in mosquito control. Please do not use spray which contains synthetic pyrethroids. It kills minimal numbers of mosquitos. Sadly, it also kills monarch caterpillars, honeybees, fireflies, solitary bees, certain earthworms and ground beetles – all creatures we welcome in our gardens.

Candy Crosby

Albemarle Garden Club

A Plant Worth Knowing

Pawpaw Voted the 2021 Tree of the Year by the State Arboretum of Virginia

The pawpaw is a native fruit tree that hosts the zebra swallowtail butterfly, bears fruits used in ice cream and other desserts as well as in bourbon cocktails. Sound good?

According to T’ai Raulston, curator at Blandy, the pawpaw was selected for its value as a native fruit tree, a butterfly host tree and for its lush foliage. The Blandy arborists and the Virginia Department of Forestry agree and celebrated the pawpaw on April 30, Arbor Day.

The tree produces sizable edible fruits loved by many people for its mango-like taste and banana like consistency. The fruit is prized by wildlife – squirrels, opossums and raccoons – when it falls in September. What I didn’t realize was the beautiful purple blossoms on the branches just hanging down and begging to be pruned to be used in flower arrangements. The only thing lacking is fragrance. The pawpaw grows 15 to 30 feet tall and is pest- and disease-free. It grows well in sun and partial shade too. If you want fruit, you will need two different cultivars.

The State Arboretum of Virginia chose the eastern redbud in 2019 and the sassafras in 2020 as the tree of the year. The next time you are in the Boyce area be sure to stop in to visit the Arboretum and all the specimen trees and collections.

Elaine Burden

Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club

GCV Landscape Research Fellowships: A 25-Year Milestone

Since GCV awarded it first Fellowship in 1996, 27 important historic sites in Virginia have been researched and documented by undergraduate and graduate students from throughout North America. The committee that chooses the sites and Fellows is made up of GCV members and an enthusiastic and generous group of professionals in the fields of landscape architecture, horticulture, historic preservation, archeology and education.

Two sites are chosen each October from a list of potential historic properties. Information about the sites and applications are posted at gcvfellowships.org in December. Applications are due March 20 and two Fellows are chosen by the committee before April 1.

The Fellows begin their three months of independent study in May under the supervision of GCV Landscape Architect Will Rieley. They gain valuable fieldwork experience while compiling research documentation, drawings and historical archives to create a comprehensive site record. Mid-way through the summer, the Fellows present their initial findings to the Committee for feedback. At the end of the three-month period they make a final presentation to the committee and larger audience. Each Fellow’s final report, including measured drawings and written history, is archived into the ongoing collections of the Garden Club of Virginia and on gcvfellowships.org.

Covid has caused the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 programs, but we look forward to a strong return in 2022.

Jody Branch

The Boxwood Garden Club

A Sampling: Events of Interest at Historic Properties

Belle Grove

Middletown

Belle Grove Wine Fest

Aug. 28

Inalienable Rights: Free and Enslaved Blacks Crafting a Life in the Shenandoah Valley with the Slave Dwelling Project

Nov. 13-14

Grace Arents Garden

Richmond

The Secret Lives of Bugs!

Have you ever wondered what a baby dragonfly looks like? Or where butterflies go in the rain? Visit Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to learn the answers to these questions and more, as the secret lives of bugs are revealed.

Sat.-Wed., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through October

Flowers After 5

Relax on Thursday evenings in August and September at Flowers After 5. Stroll through the gardens, listen to relaxing live music, and enjoy food and drinks. The Garden is open until 9 p.m.; music is from 5-8 p.m. and online food sales end at 8 p.m.

Kenmore

Fredericksburg

Arts at Kenmore: Shakespeare on the Lawn

July 10, 11, 17 and 18

Poplar Forest

Bedford

1776 The Concert Musical

Revel in the revolutionary spirit of America’s Founding Fathers at Poplar Forest’s presentation of 1776, the Tony Award-winning comedy by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone based on the events leading up to the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. View these events through the eyes of Ben (Franklin), Richard Henry (Lee), John (Adams) and Tom (Jefferson).

June 24-26

Check property websites for detailed information.

Newsletter Editor: Clarkie Eppes, Hillside Garden Club

President of the Garden Club of Virginia: Missy Buckingham, The Boxwood Garden Club