May 5, 2009

Ladew: What Caught My Eye

I took more than 200 pictures at Ladew on Saturday and even though I’ve posted a lot of them, it’s only a fraction.

As I mentioned earlier, everywhere you turn, there is something to catch your eye. Here are some things that got my attention.

I love the brick arch echoed by the rose trellises. At the very end, there was another brick arch with a bench beneath it.
These espaliered pear trees lined the outside of this brick wall. This is a great way to have a fruit tree if you don’t have a lot of room.
The wisteria that was growing on the house was just amazing. I know it’s destructive, but it certainly looks wonderful.
These chairs were on the breezeway between the main house and a little outbuilding that was used as a card-room. Mr. & Mrs. Chair, I presume.
I loved this lily pond behind the house. You can see the upper floors reflected in the pond and catch a glimpse of one of the goldfish.
This little tea house set in the garden was modeled after a ticket booth at one of the London theatres! It’s called the Tivoli Tea House (no relation).
What looks like a flatscreen TV in the tea house is actually a window looking out onto the rolling hills behind the house, surrounded by an elaborate frame.
Bleeding Heart? Dutchman’s Britches? Whichever this was, it was lovely.
How beautiful is this pathway, leading to another secret garden? The azaleas are all not entirely in bloom, but you can imagine how lovely it will be in a week (after this rain stops and the temps rise!).
Ladew has a year-round schedule of events on the property including concerts, polo matches, garden and Christmas tours and much more. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit.

11 comments:

  1. beautiful! Tom is telling me about the topiary gardens and Christmas tours- sounds fantastic! Heard a lot of Hollywood luminaries visited there during the 40's...

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  2. Really beautiful photos, Meg--this post and the previous. Those puppy dog topiaries kill me! And swags on a hedge?! Looks fantastic but the thought of all that maintenance makes me twitch a little!

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  3. Tracy, what is interesting is that during WWII when there was not a lot of help available, Mr. Ladew worked on this himself.

    He never married and his only sibling was married to a chemical magnate, so he left his money to endow the property and pay for staff.

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  4. Jamie... We had TWO copies of the book about Mr. Ladew, but someone (and I am not mentioning my sister), took them to the Book Thing (which you all missed when you were here!!!). I was going to buy one on Saturday, but the thrill of the hunt is so much more fun!

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  5. All great images - thanks for hitting the highlights. This makes outside look very appealing.

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  6. Once again, your photos leave me breathless. Such dreamy gardens!

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  7. That was quite a day trip! Looks like fun.

    The interior photos of the house are great, too. Is it dark inside? It looks to be.

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  8. E&E... it was a dark day and I was trying to shoot without a flash. Some of the rooms were wonderful and bright, but those are the ones I didn't get pix of!

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  9. Oh, the tea house and the spaliered friut trees. Sigh...

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  10. Lovely photos and an interesting series of posts Meg. The long views through planned landscapes really are wonderful. I love wisteria, myself, because it doesn't grow here. But its not a problem if heavily pruned every year,no matter how pretty it looks, as this example clearly is.

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