Garden of Diana Landreth

In 2001, I bought an old house with a wonderful view of the Shrewsbury River. Although the house needed some tender loving care, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the garden. I have always been a great fan of the traditional English perennial border, but this Victorian house seemed to call for something else entirely. In my mind's eye, I saw a perfectly symmetrical formal parterre lined up with the central axis of the house. To the surprise and consternation of the neighbors, I carefully staked out a pattern and began to dig up the front lawn. For lovers of vast lawns and bigger driveways, this was a really radical plan. But, for me, this step outside my comfort zone was the best design decision I ever made. The parterre has become a canvas on which I can experiment with color and form in the eight sections delineated by low boxwood hedges. In spring, 1,500 tulip bulbs, different combinations of pastels each year, announce the beginning of the season, and complement the surrounding cherry blossoms and redbuds. June brings roses, pale pink 'New Dawn' on four anchoring tuteurs, with red Drift® roses in two of the sections, and 'Phenomenal' lavender close by. These stronger colors mark the beginning of early summer and are supplemented by annuals such as grey dusty miller and maroon Strobilanthes dyerianus. In the fall, I harvest the lavender and make sachets and lavender wands for my friends and family at Christmas. One of the best features of the parterre is that it gives pleasure all year. In winter, it provides pleasing structure to look at from my porch or bedroom window, and looks particularly lovely when dusted with snow. One of the best features of the house is the front porch, my outdoor living room in summer. To encourage bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, I have planted drifts of tall 'Wendy's Wish' salvia, along with David Austin roses that together become a magnet for these busy creatures. My two cats and I have a constantly changing tableau to admire as summer matures. The seaward side of my garden takes a much less formal approach by relying on grasses, cottage garden flowers, and rugosa roses. A stone lion sculpture acts as guardian to the seashore, where European swans and egrets fish for their suppers. A work in progress, this side of the house will be a new garden canvas in the next few years. A plunge pool ornamented with grasses is planned. And I will also be experimenting with different plants such as beach plum and hardy hibiscus, which can tolerate the salty daily tides, and replace the invasive Phragmites australis weed that has taken over our shorelines. There is a practical as well as an ornamental feature to this project, as the diversity of plants will help to anchor the shore and prevent erosion. Some years ago, I was lucky to meet the great English garden designer, Penelope Hobhouse. Her view is that one doesn't need to have a grand house with a lot of acreage to create a beautiful garden. A mere half-acre is enough to do nearly everything you may want. After eighteen years, I have found this, perhaps surprising, maxim to be absolutely true.

Directions: At the request of the Garden Host, directions to this garden are provided at additional gardens open on this date, or by calling the Garden Conservancy office toll-free weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, 1-888-842-2442. Open Days 2018: July 21 Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission to this garden is $7 for members and nonmembers without tickets purchased in advance.

Buy discounted admission tickets in advance! They can be used at most Open Days to make garden visiting easier.
Nonmembers get 6 visits for the price of 5 with advanced ticket book purchase.
Members get 50% off ONLY by purchasing ticket books in advance.