Tag: boxwood parterre

Madison, Georgia

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The parterre, viewed from the porch of “Boxwood” (Kolb-Pou-Newton House), Madison, Georgia, June 1936, by L. D. Andrew for an Historic American Building Survey (HABS), via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (all three photos).

‘Parterre’ means ‘on the ground’ (par terre) in French.

The other side of the house, looking down from second-story window.

A parterre is a garden of planting beds laid out on level ground, typically in geometric patterns, often outlined in clipped boxwood.

This house was built about 1845; its garden was laid out about 1854. A 1935 HABS drawing of its parterres, front and back, is here.

There are more photos of the garden in this 2007 article in Garden and Gun.

Vintage landscape: shady spot

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%22As you like it,%22 Library of CongressGarden of “As You Like It,” the James Harper Poor House, East Hampton, New York, ca. 1915, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Commons on flickr.

Poor was a New York City businessman (dry goods) and Shakespeare devotee, who, in 1899, bought a shingled American Colonial country house, part of which was built in the 17th century. He then changed its style to English or Tudor Revival — all half-timber and stucco, as was so fashionable at that time.  Today, the property is The Baker House 1650 bed and breakfast.

Tuinhuis garden

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The tuinhuis or ‘garden house’ (shown in the fifth slide above)  is a small cafe on the grounds of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The surrounding garden was a very pretty place to rest after a long ramble around parts of the city center and the Museumplein, during a one-day travel stopover last week.

About half the area is composed of wide gravel paths around a simple boxwood parterre — which is filled with cottage annuals like variegated nasturtium and lime green flowering tobacco.

On the other side, white marble (I think) outlines the narrow planting beds.  Currently, you can see a free exhibition of Calder sculptures in the garden, as well.

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