2011 High Museum's Artful Garden Tour

Hello Everybody,

This time of year is Garden Tour Season in Atlanta and I'm almost "toured out"-- Maybe overstimulated is more the correct term.  Yesterday we went on the High Museum's Artful Garden Tour.  This tour is unique in that it features artist and art on display in the gardens.  Both large and intimate gardens are included--often these gardens are designed and maintained by the homeowners. Of course sometimes the homeowner is a garden designer which is even more interesting.

Enough chit chat--let's get started.

The first house is popularily known as "The Flower House." It's on Habersham Road in Buckhead, a somewhat busy street of Mansions.

This is the back of the house.  Why didn't I get a pict of the front?

The White Garden is one of many garden rooms in the two and a half acres.  You got that didn't you? Two and a half acres on Habersham Road in Buckhead.  I still liked it.

This garden has awesome bones. It's a rectangle with the fountain focal point in the center axis. Plantings are a little wild and spill out over their borders.  As I sat on the bench and really looked closely, I realized that the plants are very balanced and rhythmic but their growth habits soften the lines. This was so inspirational for me.

The White Garden would be enough for most of us, but wait, there's more.

Now on to the next stop--well not really, this is a very edited version of the tour. Please let me know if you'd like more photos--I have plenty eye candy to keep the diehards happy.

The next garden is over on Oakdale Road in Druid Hills.  It's small and intimate and a plant lovers dream.
An added plus: The garden comes with a very Pretty Old House.  Check out the tudor details in the gables and the original (I think) metal casement windows.  If you squint you can just make out the handles in the middle of the windows.

This is what I call curb appeal.



The gardener/homeowner does an excellent job of mixing color and texture with this Japanese maple, autumn ferns and delicate ground cover.

How's this for foundation plantings?  Look at the right corner--see the purple plant growing on the brick? That's loropetalum with creeping fig behind it.  A quick word about creeping fig--don't do it. That stuff grows like kudzu and sends out little aerial roots that help it stick to surfaces--it's a bear to get off the windows.  It might look quaint, but steer clear.

On the other side of the stoop...

The "Back Yard" with a pea gravel path...

After touring this garden I was waylaid by an Estate Sale down the street. More on that later.

The last garden in this post is in Ansley Park.  It featured my favorite piece of art.

And the pool wasn't too shabby either.

Behind the pool was a bit of inspiration for my back fence--if I ever get one that is.
A cryptomeria screen is planted along the fence line with a row of Annabelle hydrangeas and autumn ferns in a bed of lirope.  Real simple, real easy, real pretty.

 Well dear readers that's all for today's Artful Garden Tour.

THE END.

Patti

More of the Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour 2011

Welcome to the last--well maybe not the very last--of my posts on the

2011 Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour.

Have a look at the other posts here and here.

Those of you who know me well will probably recognize at first glance that is was my Favorite Garden on the tour.

 Pool, plantings, urns. Oh yeah.

This is the front of the house. Not pretensious. It's just a painted brick ranch with a nice entry and big windows.

Oh boy!

How about this for al fresco dining?  I think I could be friends with this gal.
Is that her Grand Baroque? That's her hand at the top for sure.  I'd have been packing heat if I'd set this table at the garden tour. 

There were a lot of cherubs in this garden. I'm not much into cherubs, but if I were...
He reminds me of my son that time--a story for another day.

As if one table weren't enough. Does this set the mood or what?  Note the pea gravel path. That crunch just adds to the sensory experience.  I love it.

Key West anyone?  So maybe we can't really grow orchids on our trees in Atlanta, but we can pretend, can't we?

Now on to the Rich and Richer.
I'm serious. This house and garden were so far over the top I almost can't even think of what to say.

All I could think was "The lawn is suitable for grazing sheep." 
Mrs. Greenthumbs aka Cassandra Danz, Mrs. Greenthumbs Plows Ahead.

The contractor/designer did win the Phillip Trammel Shultz award for Garden Design.  What do I know?

Extreme Pergola alert! This is a masterpiece.

There's a Greek Temple for a pool house.

Photo shot just before we humble Garden Tourists were expelled from the Greek Pool House.

Back to earth now with the "Bonus Garden".
How's this for an entry?
How many classical features can you spy?

The owner had a display of photos of the garden when she bought the house. There were old roses on the terraces and an overall sense of past grandeur.  Like a Grand Dame in her old age.

To bring the garden back the owner has started with the "bones"; the paths and layout.  When we look closely, we see a very formal layout with a path running straight out to the back fence and three horizonal paths intersecting it.  At the end of each path is a focal point.
The plantings are a combination of formal and informal.  I'd like to revisit this garden in a couple of years when it "fills in."

The last house was over by Piedmont Park on a teeny tiny tiny lot.  The owners really made the most of what they had. As we were going in we met a family coming out with a little boy,

"Can we go back in there again?" he said.  That's the highest Garden Praise you can get.

 Thanks for taking the tour with me.
Next is the Artful Garden Tour!!

Patti

Linking to A Southern Day Dreamer Outdoor Wednesday

2011 Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour

Welcome to the second part of the 2011 Garden for Connoisseurs Tour

hosted by the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

The first garden in this post belongs to Louise Poer, an Atlanta garden designer. This is Louise's home.
Her garden it teeny tiny but jam packed with style. She calls her home The Dog House--not as in UGA dogs, as in --just dogs in general and setters in particular.

Pea gravel paths in this garden are lovely to look at and give that nice little crunch when you walk around--there's a multi-sensory thing going on.

Doesn't this next house reminds you of Glenridge Hall? (see my post on Glenridge Hall here)

A huge house requires huge landscaping.  Where we might plant one hosta, they planted three.

 Umm umm that Pebbletec pool.

Once again the pots on this tour were wonderful--as always.

Here's a nice example of the large sweeps of plantings in the back yard.  The plants themselves are simple and of limited variety, but the design packs a punch.

I learn a lot by just studying the pictures.  Seven autumn ferns--no--thirty seven.

If you're going to plant azeleas in the front yard--do it like this!

Don't forget to stop by later for more gardens or visit my previous post on Ryan Gainey's garden. There's just too much for one or even two posts.

Patti