June 22, 2008

Part I: The Outside

I have said it before and I will say it again... I am very lucky. I have great family and friends and one amazing person who is both. Our siblings have been married to each other for 20+ years, and M and I are aunt and uncle to their four great children.
When M invited me to stay at his Eastern Shore house for a few days, and to bring Connor along, I knew I was in store for a real treat. I'd been to the house once before since they moved in a few years ago, but hadn't spent time there.
When we got to M's early in the evening, Connor needed to be walked, so we took a stroll in the gardens, which have been a showplace for more than 40 years. There are two axis views, with the center-point being a graceful fountain and pond. Naturally, Connor fell into the pond, taking a drink and overstepping the edge.
There are both formal and informal gardens at the house, and many specimen trees, including a huge tulip poplar, evergreen magnolias and an allée of maples leading to the house.

The kitchen gardens are away from the house, out by the barn and are organically farmed by the charming Hope. Before I left to drive back to Baltimore, she packed me the most incredible basket of veggies, including home-grown artichokes! The farm also raises soybeans and corn. I've written about this over on my foodie blog.

The formal gardens are bordered by small ball-shaped boxwoods and rosemary plants. There are plants and shrubs, all in varying shades of green, which make up several themed gardens, including one with banana plants. There is a garden folly with an Edwin Lutyens bench and numerous urns and planters, all creating a unified vision of a formal garden, beautiful from all angles.

This is the view from the bench, through the folly to the river and below is looking to the folly.

The garden blooms throughout the summer, but it was mostly hydrangeas and elderflower blooming this past weekend, and tons of gorgeous lush magnolias, which smelled incredible.

As you brush against the rosemary borders of the garden, the smell just wafts along in your wake.
View from the window in the room where I stayed.
Stay tuned for Part II: The Inside. I will probably post it tomorrow. Also, check out my foodie blog for pictures of the kitchen garden and Betsey, the baby duck!

19 comments:

  1. hmmph - nothing special - see this all the time. .........


    ahahah!!! like never! like maybe in my dreams!!!!! omg - I know people live like this, but still - it's just gorgeous. My favorite part ? the hydrangeas. were they just gorgeous? OH - and the bench and the folly axis. And the maple tree allee. You are SO lucky. Oh - and your view! Room with a view! Can I go with you next time. You took conner there??? OH, Im estacially happy for your good fortune to have spent such a great weekend !!!

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  2. lovely artichoke bloom and surrounding gardens!

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  3. I can't begin to imagine. I bet you are having a blast. And, Connor, too!

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  4. Last night I started watching the HBO special on John Adams and today I wake up to this. What a treat!!! Thank you for the lovely....no.....exquisite tour of a gracious and historical home. Ginny

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  5. Fabulous grounds! That long dirt drive reminds me of "run Forrest!"
    Can't wait to see more... it's like being there!

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  6. Oh those magnolias. Meg you are lucky. This is one of my favorite parts of the country. So glad you let us enjoy it along with you :)

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  7. Thanks for the great comments. It was such a special weekend for lots of reasons. The weather was perfect - cool and sunny! It showed off the grounds at their most lovely!

    One thing I want to add about the grounds - they do everything is the most "green" way possible, from collecting pine needles from the driveway to use as mulch, to channeling rainwater from the gutters on the house to use to water the gardens, to collecting compost from all over the property, including the kitchen to supplement the soil.

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  8. The photos leave me speechless! How incredibly beautiful. Of course, I love the folly especially!

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  9. Oh. My. Goodness. What an amazing adventure. Stunning gardens. My post today was about a little garden tour we went on this weekend, just like yours...he he he. Not so much.

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  10. Wow, what a spectacular property. I'm with Joni on this one, only in my wildest dreams. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the weekend, thanks for sharing!!

    ~Kate

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  11. beautiful - looks like an English estate - perfect lead in to the Ascot post

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  12. I can NOT wait to see the inside!!!!

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  13. What a beautiful property and you had perfect weather that day it looks like! I can't wait to see the interior photos!

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  14. WOW this place has a garden that can really leave one speechless. It's GORGEOUS!!!

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  15. Since I'm going back through older posts, I've seen the inside, too. This is living well. What a treat to be able to visit friends there!

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  16. These photos are a piece of fine art. Who wouldn't dream of being a guest at this magnificent, palatial property!

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