Maid To Garden

In The Garden Of Good Living - December 2009: Rembering Last Spring’s Field Trips
by Pat Hendrickson

I love to take 'field trips' throughout the year . . . . . .
It's a good excuse to get away, but also frees the mind to gather new ideas on technique and design. It's a great time to rejuvenate and relax or meet and talk with people that have the same interests and plenty of information to pass along.

In June of last year, my sister and I took a trip to Monkton, Maryland to visit Ladew Topiary Gardens. When choosing our destination, we agree that our garden visits be equidistant between me and my sister, and that it be within three hours of home.

Topiary is not what I consider to be even close to within my reach of abilities, but I was not disappointed. Although topiary is beautifully present throughout the property, it is not overwhelmingly the star of the show.

If you visit the website at http://www.ladewgardens.com, you will learn that Ladew is a 250 acre property once owned by Harvey S. Ladew, a self-taught gardener. Built on 22 of those acres are 15 'thematic garden rooms' and a 1.5 mile trail through a prairie-like terrain full of nature's wild flowers. It could take an entire day or a few hours for you to taste the fullness of art and nature Ladew has to offer.

The obvious topiary begins at the entrance with a fox chase and a small, informal herb garden. The not-so-obvious topiary is shown in the hedges and foundation plantings throughout the remaining acreage. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. . . . . .

Click on the thumbnails below to see larger pictures.

Elephant	Chinese Junk	Swan Hedge
Secret Room Entrance	Ssecret Pond	Rose Graden
Pyramid Entrance	Peony Buds
Land of Hedges	Culinary Garden	Cottage Garden 1
Cottage Garden 2	bullfrog	Topiary Buddha
A Private Spot
Fox Chase	Tea Room	Secret Room
Mountain laurel (Rhododendron Family)

	Climbing Rose