The love of outdoor work and collaboration with Nature brings a peace and satisfaction that can seldom be attained. - Beatrix Farrand, 1954
Last September I traveled to Mount Desert Island in Maine to tour three gardens related to Beatrix Farrand, the first female landscape architect of the early 20th century. Farrand began her career in New York City in 1896, establishing herself as a garden designer for many prominent clients in Gilded Age society.
Although there was no formal training for landscape architecture at the time, Farrand found many skilled tutors and mentors to teach her. She also traveled extensively in Europe with her mother and her aunt, the novelist Edith Wharton, to study garden design, especially in Italy.
One of Farrand's first jobs was to consult on her aunt's gardens at The Mount, Wharton's home in Lenox, Massachusetts. Wharton designed the gardens and her niece designed the entry drive for carriages as well as a large kitchen garden. Farrand also advised her aunt on the placement of the flower gardens so they could be seen from the windows of the grand house. From there, she designed gardens for estates in the Berkshires, Long Island and Newport, Rhode Island.
The Rockefeller Garden
Farrand's childhood summer home, Reef Point, was located in Bar Harbor, Maine, so she was familiar with the area. Many wealthy clients with summer homes on Mount Desert Island hired her to design their gardens. One of the most famous couples, John D. and Abby Rockefeller, had her design their garden and grounds at Seal Harbor, Maine, known today as the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden. Farrand designed the landscape and the hardscape of this garden between 1926 and 1930. It is one of the most enchanting places I have ever visited.
The Rockefellers had traveled extensively in Asia, and they returned with many statues from Korea, China and Japan. The result is a traditional three acre English garden with flower borders as well as Asian statuary, lanterns, and temple roof tiles surrounding the central garden. Today, the Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve maintains this magical place for the public to enjoy from June to early September. Reservations are necessary.
Thuya Garden and Asticou Azalea Garden
The Preserve also maintains two nearby gardens related to Beatrix Farrand, Thuya Garden and the Asticou Azalea Garden. Thuya Garden is located at the site of an early 20th century summer house named Thuya Lodge after the white cedar trees (thuja occidentalis) in the area. Maine resident Charles K. Savage created the garden on the grounds around the lodge using plants he brought from Beatrix Farrand's Reef Point after she dismantled the house and grounds in 1956.
Savage also created Asticou Azalea Garden, highlighting azaleas he transplanted from Reef Point. In the spring the vibrant colors of the azaleas are reflected in a centrally located pond. Influenced by Japanese garden design, Savage created a "sand garden" among the azaleas, and incorporated many Japanese stone features, similar to the Rockefeller garden.
The Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve continues Beatrix Farrand's legacy of garden design by maintaining these gardens for the public to enjoy. If you are planning a visit to Maine, they will be one of the highlights of your trip.
Judith Canty Graves is an award-winning columnist with a home garden in Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily. This article appears in The Laurel of Asheville magazine.