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HOME A Hersam Acorn Special Section

July 2010

Dogwood Hill in New Canaan A Garden for Sharing

Gardens and Decorative Elements Less Is Definitely More

Greenwich Post • The Darien Times • New Canaan Advertiser • The Ridgefield Press • The Wilton Bulletin • The Weston Forum • The Redding Pilot • The Lewisboro Ledger

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July 2010

The gardens at Dogwood Hill reveal themselves in stages.

Dogwood Hill A garden for sharing by Jeannette Ross Carol Seldin is a fast worker. After being in her New Canaan home for just five years, she has transformed what was once barren landscape into a six-acre horticultural tapestry. In Ms. Seldin’s words, what was there before were some large, old trees and lots and lots “of poison ivy, poison sumac and weeds.”

The result will be on view to the public Sunday, July 18, as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program. The garden at 1000 Ponus Ridge Road will be open from 10 to 4; admission is a $5 donation to the Garden Conservancy, which works to preserve exceptional American gardens for the education and enjoyment of the public. Dogwood Hill continued on page 12

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When it comes to garden ornaments

Less is definitely more by Mark Baxter

The Elemental Garden

The size and shape of a garden ornament should blend well with its setting.

“The garden is a metaphor for life — and English & French garden antiques and decoragardening a symbol of a spiritual path.” tive arts. — L. Dossey “There is far more to a garden than the plantings, flowers and trees,” Tracey points And, just like life, a garden needs to be out. “The true bones of the garden lie in the anchored, formally or informally, in a design design and structure. The ornaments add that contributes to its order and allows its character and lead the eye where you want it beauty to be fully enjoyed. to go.” No one understands that better, perhaps, than Tracey Young, owner of The Elemental Anchored Design Garden in Woodbury — a shop known for its Garden ornaments, of course, may include authentic 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-Century statuary, urns, birdbaths, dovecotes and any-

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July 2010

thing else that inspires the designer, complements the overall look and adds substance and style. “Ornaments should make a statement about the garden and the owner,” said Tracey, “but not compete with or overshadow the overall intent.” “And, it should be compatible with the style of your home itself,” she adds. “Introducing too many pieces or many different styles will create distractions instead of pleasing complements. Your garden will become complicated and cluttered rather than peaceful and restful.” When buying garden ornaments, she said, a mistake often made is one of size and quantity. “Often, people will choose pieces that are just too small for their space or they overload their garden with too many pieces,” she says. “In garden ornamentation, I always say that less is more.” The simplicity and versatility of garden containers, such as jars and urns, can add color and balance and help draw the eye or add relaxed elegance. And statuary, she explains, may look best when placed as a focal point in the garden or in front of a green hedge.

“Statuary doesn’t have to always be placed front and center, though,” she points out. “Often, it’s more engaging and fanciful to discover pieces as one strolls in the garden — uncovering a wonderful surprise and delight to the garden.” Quality vs Quantity Keeping with Tracey’s “less is more” mantra, she says to invest in quality. “A piece of quality will last, it keeps its beauty and it is much more durable when cared for,” she explains. Until the mid-1800s and the rise of the Victorian age, ornamental garden pieces were the provenance only of the very wealthy. The European aristocracy was the authority on gardens and ornamentation for centuries, Tracey says, and had a plethora of skilled craftsmen and well-crafted pieces for their use and decoration. In selecting a piece for your own garden, then, it becomes a question of having a one-of-a-kind piece versus a cast or molded piece. The latter became the rage with the Victorians and the rise of the smelting pro-

Garden continued on page 16

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HOME I MOANER ■

In the red by Ben Guerrero

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Regular readers might remember a story I wrote a few years back about my old, faithful 1977 Ford F-100 pickup truck that I reluctantly sold to my acrossthe-street neighbor in a panic, after holding on to it for almost 25 years. Hardly a morning breaks where I do not catch the rusting, silver and red heap out of the corner of my eye as I survey the day from the porch of my house. Those with keen memories may recall that I paid $4,778.25 cents for the vehicle back when Elvis was wheezing his last few breaths. Now the truck spends a great deal of idle curbside repose as my neighbor, Skootch Johanson, keeps

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July 2010

the rust at bay and adds his own little style flourishes to my old ride. Since that transaction, I have gone through an awful lot of vehicles, including only one actual brand-new car and a lot of used ones. I have been thinking about buying a new vehicle for a few years now. Almost every day I have seen one I briefly consider: minis, maxis, hybrids, Japanese, Korean, German. The whole situation boiled over my back burner last summer when, while on a family vacation, I rented a Ford Flex. You have probably seen these on the road yourself: great window-covered shoe boxes with odd corrugated details. I liked the whole idea. It was a strange new ride, minimally advertised and seldom observed. I thought about it for a long time until one day when I should have been doing something else, I dropped in on the local Ford dealer. In the showroom I met a very young salesman in a sensible sport coat and tie. I described my interest in the Flex and we looked at a couple of samples. I was completely smitten. I thought and thought about it but couldn’t quite pull the trigger.

A new Flex costs 10 times as much as the 1977 pickup of my undying nostalgia. The young salesman poked around in his files for a used model that might better fit my budget, but it was always the wrong color or not properly equipped. At the end of each visit, I’d hear myself say, “You will find it Steve,” — his name is Steve — “I trust you will, and in the meantime I’ll come down and see you from time to time. Call me if you find what I want.” Meanwhile, deep in my subconscious, an idea was slowly forming. The Flex obsession didn’t exactly lift, rather it sort of percolated on a back burner in my mind. Now and then I’d find myself driving by the dealership, and I’d glance over the lots to see if there were any new Flexes in stock. Occasionally, when I was supposed to be doing something else of pressing importance, I’d find myself in Steve’s office shooting the breeze. We had nothing in common except my money — he wanted it and I couldn’t think of a good reason to leave it in the bank.

Home Moaner continued on page 8

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HOME JULY 2010

VOL XIV, ISSUE 6

Special Section to: Greenwich Post, The Darien Times, New Canaan Advertiser, The Ridgeﬁeld Press, The Wilton Bulletin, The Redding Pilot, and The Weston Forum in Connecticut, and The Lewisboro Ledger in New York Cover: Home of the Month. Bryan Haeffele photo.

July 2010

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Box 1019, Ridgefield CT 06877 203-438-6544

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Home Moaner continued from page 7

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Serving Fairﬁeld County

The pages of the calendar peeled away, and next thing I knew it was summer, and the lure of the outdoors is upon me. The rooftops and side yards in our neck of the woods are bubbling with the rhythmic noise of home improvement. Bang! Bang! Whir, whir — usually while I am trying to catch up on sleep. We have had our annual argument/discussion/fantasy about renovating the garage, and how it is full of just about anything except one of the four — count ’em, four — cars we park on the street for passing motorists to whack with shocking frequency. “I am going to clean it out this summer, I swear!” I swore, simultaneously celebrating the tenth annual broken-vow-to-cleanthe-garage pageant. I also vowed, to myself this time, that I was really going to do it. I was going to put on a blindfold and empty every last crumb of crap out of the swayback structure and into the nearest landfill. So there. How was I going to do that? I needed to buy a truck. That’s the idea! Stop the presses! Call Steve!

Nothing had appeared so clear to me. Within 24 hours I was sitting at Steve’s desk, signing a sheaf of papers and some guy with his name on his shirt was driving a brand new red pick-up truck up from New Jersey. I picked her up by Thursday — with a weekend off in front of me, a plastic bed liner behind me — and I cruised the city, six-months of free satellite radio filling the cab and the air-conditioner keeping things chilled. I went to the dump a couple of times and bought some shingles for the carpenter to replace the rotten ones. I was pretty much glowing all over the place. This may come as a surprise but, I will not share the price I paid for this truck. I realize if I keep this new one as long as I kept the old one, I’ll be close to 80 years old, and whatever they are selling then will have a sticker price rivaling the price I paid for the freshly painted, rickety house on Rusty Hinge Road. You know the house I mean — the one with the shiny, red truck out front. Vroom! Vroom, suckers! ben. guerrero@sbcglobal.net

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One Day Only! Three private gardens open to the public On Sunday, July 18, explore three private gardens in New Canaan and Redding. No reservations required; rain or shine. Visit the Web site for complete garden descriptions and driving directions. Special highlights include a serene, contemporary landscape steps away from the New Canaan railroad station, a hillside walking garden featuring native plants and classical elements and beautifully orchestrated meadows, woodland walks and a formal sunken garden on eight acres. Visitors may begin at any of the following locations: Garden of Richard and Sandra Bergmann, 63 Park Street, New Canaan, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Dogwood Hill, 1000 Ponus Ridge Road, New Canaan, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; or the Marocco Garden, 73 Diamond Hill Road, Redding, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $5 per garden; children under 12 free. For more Information, see the Conservancy’s Web site, opendaysprogram.org or call The Garden Conservancy toll-free weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1888-842 -2442.

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We’re So Much More Than Just Swimming Pools

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July 2010 Home of the Month LOCATION: This charming Colonial in Darien has a setting to match. PROPERTY: More than an acre of beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens make a picturesque and private setting for this fine home. A spacious patio and screened porch are just the place to enjoy it. HOUSE: Built in 1941, this home reflects the elegant, detailed craftsmanship of the era. A flexible floor plan includes a living room with fireplace, dining room, family room with fireplace, up-to-date kitchen, library, office, playroom, master bedroom suite, four more bedrooms, four bathrooms and one half-bath. GARAGE: Three-car attached, heated. OUTBUILDING: Workshop. PRICE: $2,195,000. REALTY: Kelly Associates. Agent: Cathy Lawton, 203-621-0945. Photography: Bryan Haeffele.

Home Sweet Home

Dogwood Hill continued from page 3

“She and I have worked hand-in-glove,” Ms. Seldin said, “to design a series of gardens where there were none before. A Georgian house is supposed to reveal itself in stages,” she said of her 15-year-old handsome brick home. “I wanted to do the same with the garden.” It is a series of revelations that can never really be seen in its totality. Inspiration for the work came from the native plants in the Lee Garden in New Canaan and from English gardens in magazines. And while some gardeners avoid showing off in the heat of mid-summer, Ms. Seldin thought the date would actu-

For information, visit online at gardenconservancy.org or call 845-265-5384. Although Ms. Seldin is a master gardener who describes herself as a “down and dirty gardener” and a “chronic deadheader,” she knew she could not take on this challenge alone. Her right-hand has been landscaper Heather O’Neill of Second Nature Landscape Design. The landscaping work was done by Odd Job of Darien (oddjoblandscaping.com).

ally be to her advantage. “It would show things fluffed out more,” she said, meaning her tropicals and annuals will be at peak bloom. “Gardens change every day,” she said. “My garden is a four-season garden.” Of the six-acre property, the lion’s share of effort went into a one-acre hillside. The centerpiece is a quarter-mile garden walk along one edge of the property, where visitors will be treated to a lot of color and texture — as one side of the walk gets sun, the other is in shade. At the top of the walk is a formal sunken garden, geometrically laid out, fea-

turing hydrangeas, boxwood, arborvitae, Knockout roses, allium, nepeta, sedum, umbrella pine, zinnias and teddy bear rhododendron (with a suede-like quality to the underside of the leaves), anchored by a fountain her actor son helped her find in Lenox, Mass. This garden evokes multiple senses: touch, sight and smell. A walk along the downward path leads visitors past a myriad of plants, including two types of clematis, lace-cap hydrangea, an unusual variegated Kousa dogwood, echinacea, poppies, baptisia, coreopsis, daisies and lilies. Ms. Seldin advised that

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every now and then, visitors turn around to contemplate where they have been, as the view coming and going is markedly different. Not much has been left to chance in this garden in the sense that great care has been taken to the layering of plants. In one spot, Ms. Seldin said, “we started with these birch trees and then worked off that.” There are little surprises along the way, like the elephant ears around a bend. “It’s a nice punctuation,” Ms. Seldin said. Further along, an original stone wall has been interrupted to accommodate

some stone steps that lead to a small oasis with Japanese maple and a bench. Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, the path leads to one of Ms. Seldin’s favorite spots. It’s a garden “hallway” with wellbehaved shade plants along one edge of the soft turf path and “controlled chaos” along the other. Again, inspired by photos of an English garden, it is, as Ms. Seldin described it, “boxwood holding back a whole coterie of fabulous and diverse plants,” and there’s a fountain planted with succulents.

Dogwood Hill continued on page 18

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INTO I THE I GARDEN ■

A woodland wonderland in New Canaan by Nancy Helle Fairfield. “Scott has a vision that I love, and Melanie has collaborated with me on the perennial design,” says Alice. Their collaboration has created a garden that evokes a feeling of peacefulness, with the softness of curvilinear borders. One is welcomed to the garden through a cedar arbor at the side of the house. Cornus florida, our native dogwood, shades gardens that intrigue with a variety of plant textures. Bordering a curved swath of grass, they gracefully lead you to explore an inviting woodland path just around the bend. The path meanders through an irregular terrain of plants, presenting a pleasing palette of many leaf textures, sizes and colors. Specially collected plants, such as Disporums (a favorite of Alice’s), as well as artisan sculp-

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Nancy Helle

There’s something magical about a woodland garden. The tranquil setting under a canopy of trees, the meandering paths offering the charm of unexpected new vistas at every twist and turn and the amazing variety of plant leaves, which provide not only infinite shades of green but also yellow, white and red, as well as seasonal flowers in whites, pinks and purples. “It’s all about weaving a tapestry of different colors and textures which change from season to season,” says Alice Parker, a former president of The Garden Club of New Canaan, whose enchanting woodland garden has been an ongoing, evolving project for the past 15 years. From the start, her partners in this endeavor have been Scott Jamison and Melanie Fox Carvallo of Oliver Nursery in

Alice Parker strolls through her woodland garden, its lushness heightened in the rain.

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tures placed harmoniously in the landscape provide interest along the way. Stone steps in natural shapes gently guide the journey to and from the knoll where a gazebo is located. Strategically placed focal points include an Adirondack-style cedar bench, the rustic wood gazebo and a huge urn, as well as a variety of sculpture interspersed with foliage throughout the path. A tall realistic Jack-in-the-Pulpit metal sculpture presides over a bed of live Jack-in-the-Pulpits. Whimsical sculptures include a bear sitting on a bench reading The Wall Street Journal and a raccoon peeking out from his “doorway” in a tree trunk. The path provides a connection between the front and back gardens, ending with a tapestry of ground covers surrounding a lovely Koi pond filled with goldfish and fed by a waterfall, which is close to the house and can be enjoyed from the terrace. How do you get started in planning and planting a woodland garden? Alice replies, “You have to work with the site and look at what’s growing there, which will give you information on the soil conditions.

Choosing a variety of lovely ground covers will create an ever-changing tapestry.” Alice likes to alternate grassy plants with “spikes,” tall narrow plants like day lilies, as well as others that grow closer to the ground. Some of her favorite ground covers are Tiarella, Galium (sweet woodruff), Phlox stolonifera (creeping phlox), Asarums (ginger), Ajuga and Anemone nemorosa, intermingled with swaths of Symphytum and Brunnera (our perennial forget-me-not). These plants create a carpet for Dicentra spectabile (Bleeding Heart), Trillium, Jeffersonia and Uvularia (Merrybells). Broad leaf plants, such as Kirengeshoma, Rodgersia and Diphylleia are focal points, while Buxus “Vadar Valley” weaves the garden together. “You need to create a rhythm, and repeat the same plants throughout, but maybe in a different scenario, in different combinations with other plants,” Alice advises. “Boxwood, Hosta and ‘Vardar Valley’ provide continuity along our path. You try things out and then change the plants, especially if they get too tall. A garden like this evolves. I have changed not only the plants but also the paths, many times.” ■

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LET THE SUN SHINE IN. ON YOUR TERMS.

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Garden continued from page 5 cess, which delivered pieces at a fraction of the cost. So, it’s not the inherent value of a particular ornament, Tracey explains, but the value of it being one of a kind, its related history, the provenance and the true craftsmanship of the piece. “These older pieces hold their value well,” she says. “They appreciate, and they are getting harder and harder to find. You won’t find them here in the States. I’m always looking overseas, everyday, to find antique garden pieces fresh to the market.” But there is something for everyone, she adds, and one shouldn’t try to compare true antique ornamentation with ones made more recently. Pieces at The Elemental Garden may range from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars, and, for a particular need or garden, a more recently made piece may suffice just as well. “Keep in mind, too,” Tracey says, “that there is a lot of repurposing going on, with ornamentals being turned into tables and benches, and many pieces being sold for use indoors — not outdoors — to add textures and materials in the home. We

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RUST IS NEVER DESIRABLE,

AS IT CAN ACTUALLY DAMAGE

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OR RUIN AN ANTIQUE PIECE.

also are selling a wide variety of antique English garden tools to be used or simply for decoration.” Care And Maintenance Once you’ve selected the perfect antique garden ornament for your home, how do you ensure it will last for even more generations to come? “Most of the great garden pieces were made in Europe ,” Tracey explains, “in a climate that doesn’t have our severe weather cycles, so we have a need to protect the ornaments that are to be left outside yearround. The enemy, of course, is ice and the alternating freezes and thaws that can crack and crumble any kind of stone.” Tracey recommends that statues, benches, and urns be removed from the ground to prevent snow and ice from damaging their bases. “Never leave them sitting directly on dirt or grass, as they will wick moisture

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from the ground and invite ice during the winter. A level footing made of stone slab will elevate the piece and also prevent frost heaves from toppling them.” If you can’t bring the ornaments indoors for the winter, then cover them with a tarp or heavy canvas at the end of October. Heavily carved statues and ornaments with high relief have lots of nooks and crannies that will hold ice and invite damage. Green Or Bare? Gardeners also frequently ask if moss and organic matter should be left on an antique piece or removed to protect it, Tracey notes. “It’s a matter of personal taste,” she says. “If you want to remove organic matter from your ornaments, though, it should be left to an experienced conservator, and it will lower the value of the piece.” Tracey notes that if you must remove organic matter, placing the piece in a hot, dry and sunny spot will eventually kill any moss and lichen, and it can then be peeled off. A related issue is one of original paint or patina on those cast-iron pieces. Remember

that it’s next to impossible to find antique iron garden furniture or sculptures that still have their original coat of paint, Tracey points out. “And rust is never desirable, as it can actually damage or ruin an antique piece,” she explains. “Repainting to prevent rust does not hurt its value, as it’s not just the surface look that adds value but the casting itself, the age and the integrity of the piece.” A garden is finished only when it’s dead. If you’re starting out with your own design or adding to an existing garden, help is always appreciated, and Tracey often works with customers in the design of a garden as well as in finding the perfect anchors and elements. “With a design,” she says, “you have the road map, and you can then do a little one year and a lot the next, but you’re always moving toward the same unified, tasteful and desired goal.” Like life, then, the garden can be a delightful, and sometimes surprising, path. The Elemental Garden is in Woodbury; 203263-6500; Web theelementalgarden.com. ■

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Dogwood continued from page 13 “This [area] was nothing last year,” said landscape designer Ms. O’Neill. The two women gave it a lot of thought. “Should it be a vegetable garden, a water garden, a place for dahlias ...” she said. Now it is a mass of angel trumpet, banana plants, salvia, David Austin roses, canna lilies, monkshood, globe thistle, dahlias, crotons, allium, variegated Jacob’s ladder, and more. The exit is a wisteria-covered trellis. Towards the end of the quarter-mile pathway, an expanse of lawn can be glimpsed through an allée of pine trees, but visitors should stay along the path, which leads past a huge bronze urn decorated with young maidens. Eventually, visitors will arrive at the back of the property and the pool, which is planted with roses, hydrangea, hibiscus, buddleia, clematis, ageratum, daylilies, and more. In full view now is the great expanse

of lawn, of which Ms. Seldin said, “The cheese stands alone.” Carpet roses tumble out of a huge brick planter at the back of a stone terrace, a coral-bark maple shows off its glorious red trunk — it’s especially vibrant in winter, Ms. Seldin said — and Apollo and Diana stand amid yet another garden room on the side of the house. Ms. Seldin is of a mind like many other gardeners participating in the Open Days program. “Gardens are for sharing, not just private consumption,” she said. “You meet the most wonderful people.” For Ms. Seldin, her garden also reminds her of wonderful people, her family, particularly her sons and her father. “I grew up planting trees with my dad and mowing the grass,” she said. “My father said he felt closest to God when he was working in the yard. I feel closest to my father when I’m working in the garden.” ■

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