The National Trust was chartered by Congress in 1949 “to facilitate public participation in the preservation of sites, buildings, and objects of national significance or interest.” Today you can read about many of the most beautiful American gardens of which some are administered by the Trust. We begin with Shadows-on-the-Teche in New Ibera, La..
In the 1830s a distinguished townhouse was built with Tuscan columns in the classical manner. In 1922 David Weeks returned from war service and found the “home place”’ in serious disrepair and the gardens a tangle. Weeks Hall bequeathed the Shadows both house and contents to the National Trust in 1959. Cedar and live oaks with soft festoons of Spanish moss grace the property.
In an area that once was wilderness, a great garden blooms along the Gulf Coast and is called the Bellingrath Gardens. This camellia arboretum of more than 2,500 specimens sits on the banks of the Isle-aux-Oies River, which is approximately 20 miles south of Mobile, Ala.. Today the Bellingrath-Morse Foundation maintains the Gardens.
Moving east we visit Longwood Gardens. It is a marvelous outdoor conservatory on the estate of Pierre S. de Pont at Kennett Square, Pa.. The gardens area reminds one of European gardens in a grand manner such as the Villa d’Este in Italy or the Hempstead Gardens. I enjoyed every inch of this property.
Since 1946 the Gardens have been operated by the Longwood Foundation established by du Pont. It is considered one of America’s foremost gardens. As early as 1931 du Pont installed water fountains to the Italian Water Garden and the Main Fountain Garden. These liquid fireworks of spray are highlighted by colors of red, blue, green, yellow, and white lights.
Another eastern gardens of delight are on the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C.. In 1888 George W. Vanderbilt, Grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, began the purchase of 125,000 acres of farms and wooded mountains. A three-mile railway spur first had to be built to carry materials to the location. It required five years to complete the building with at least 1,000 workers steadily employed. I found both the house and gardens quite amazing. The Italian Garden has three formal pools. In the Spring, a three-mile approach road is an enchanted parkway with azaleas, rhododendron and laurel blooming.
The Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, D.C. is under the protection of the National Trust since its bequeath by Wilson’s widow. It is open to the public. There are small enclosed spaces of shaded gardens to suggest cool private retreats in the warm climate. Plantings consist almost entirely of trees shrubs and ground covers that can survive in shade or the glare of the southern sun.
All across America are lush and attractive gardens of every manner and size and location. If you enjoy gardening which I do, any of these gardens would delight you. The Natchez area in the Spring is enjoyable with the abundance of azalea blooms. Or, the Ida Cason Callaway Gardens in the Pine Mountain area of Georgia. The Oklahoma City Botanic Gardens is one of the most beautiful I ever have seen. The Bishop’s Garden of the Washington Cathedral is remarkable for its box-lined walks and large Irish yew trees.
Closer to home, it is easy to enjoy the full Summer blooms of the Sunken Gardens at Phillips Park in Aurora, the Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, or Cantigny Museums and Park in Wheaton. A bit farther northeast lies the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, a northern Chicago suburb, which is a delightful place to visit.