Lantern Slides of Gardens

"House of Usefulness" schoolhouse, National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio. Window box.

Abbey Goes Design Scouting recently wrote about this wonderful collection of hand colored lantern slides from photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864-1952) which are held by the Library of Congress.  These were originally used for garden lectures and many of them are of grand estates or public places, depicting more formal gardens, but my favorites are of the smaller, more personal, less manicured gardens.

Ruth Bramley Dean house, 150 East 61st Street, New York, New York. Garden bench.

"Thornewood," Chester Thorne house, Lakewood, Washington. View to house from flower garden.

"Willowmere," Rear Admiral Aaron Ward house, 435 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn Harbor, New York Iris beds.

 

"Willowmere," Rear Admiral Aaron Ward house, 435 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn Harbor, New York. Spring bulbs.

"Près Choisis," Albert Herter house, Georgica Pond, East Hampton, New York. Blue and white garden terrace.

Turtle Bay Gardens, 227-247 East 48 Street and 228-46 East 49 Street, New York, New York View east to common garden.

There is an accompanying book to this collection called Gardens for a Beautiful America: 1895-1935. 

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Spring's Star: Edgeworthia Chrysantha

My city garden is 7 years old this Spring. When I moved into my house there were just a handful of plants, many of which are gone now. This edgeworthia is one of the first things I planted and continues to be a favorite. I love the way it's bare branches look in the Winter sunlight and the blossoms, which open to small yellow and white pompoms are already beginning to look pretty interesting in December. They unfurl slowly over the next couple of months and once they are really open, wow, hold on to your hat because aside from the visual fireworks they smell sweetly divine. It was a lucky accident that I sited this plant so well--it's next to the walkway leading up to my front door so your nose and eyes come into close contact as you're coming and going.

I would highly recommend this plant to anyone--it looks a bit like Cousin Itt during the Summer but I forgive it as there's nothing going that's this spectacular this early in the season, just when we need it most.

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