Hildene House Hardscaping

A garden is always more than its plants and flowers. Hardscaping provides the structure and bones of the garden or landscaping. Hildene House had a great collection of hardscaping for the property and the garden. Here are some of my favorites.

Grand Entrance

An estate really should have a grand entrance, and this sweeping driveway and covered entry is a perfect. What could be more civilized than to arrive and alight from horse and buggy or car, protected from the elements?

The grand entrance at Hildene House

Observatory

Every estate should have one. Robert Todd Lincoln was an astronomy buff, and built this mini observatory for star gazing. It is still used today.

A private observatory

Fences and Walls

The house is built on a promontory overlooking the valley below. Fences and walls are nicely used to protect visitors from taking a tumble.



Wrought iron fence implanted in the cliff

Stone wall provides a protective barrier to the cliff below

Paths

Paths guide visitors, and provide protection for the land. I liked the variations of brick paths used on the estate. I was also intrigued with the use of marble.

Marble and brick path

Rustic brick path

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Green House

The green house would have been interesting while in use, but it is also interesting as a relic. It looks like some of its former plantings are now taking over.

Weathered frame of a relic greenhouse

Flower Beds

The formal flower beds are contained with clipped hedges, the cutting garden with a weather wooden fence.

Clipped hedges provide the frame for formal flower beds

Marble and clipped hedges

Weathered wood fence of the cutting garden

Arches and Pergolas

The arch leading to the kitchen and cutting garden, and the pergola of the formal garden provide an invitation to roam, and framing for the views.

Arch with seating beckons the visitor to the cutting garden

Pergola provides some shade, and a frame for the landscape
 

Hildene House

Hildene House is located near Manchester, Vermont, in the southwestern corner of the state, and was the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Eunice (Harlan). Robert Lincoln was the only surviving son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. We visited on a moody, cloudy day that threatened rain.

Sweeping grounds of the Hildene estate

Hildene is a composite of old English words meaning hill and valley with stream, which is a perfect name. The 412 acre estate encompasses a hill overlooking a valley, meadows, and wetlands. The summer estate is now run by the Friends of Hildene. They give tours of the estate, which includes a working farm, a Pullman train car, and the house and garden.

Working farm on the Hildene estate

Lincoln (1843 – 1926) was a lawyer like his father. He was educated at Harvard University and the Old University of Chicago law school, and was admitted to the bar in 1867. He served as Secretary of War (1881 – 1885), and as United States minister to the United Kingdom (1889 – 1893). Later he worked as general counsel of the Pullman Palace Car Company, and then became its president in 1897 after George Pullman died.

Pullman Car - Lincoln was president of the Pullman Palace Car Company in later years

The house is built in the Georgian Revival style, and built on an outcrop overlooking the Battenkill Valley. A sweeping driveway delivers the visitor to the front entry. An antique red car stands at the ready. The front lawn has markings representing the size of the log cabin in which Abraham Lincoln was raised in contrast with the size of his son’s summer estate.



Front entrance of Hildene House - the sign describes the lawn markings outlining the size of Abraham Lincoln's family cabin

We toured the house interior, which is furnished with Lincoln family furniture and possessions. I was impressed with how cozy and comfortable it was. I can see why it would be a destination in the heat of summer.

Hildene House formal garden

Hoyt Formal Garden

Behind the house is the Hoyt Formal Garden. The formal beds are designed to resemble a stained glass window – with clipped hedges demarking the beds of annuals and perennials. From the house and charming garden is a beautiful view of the valley and hills beyond.  Our docent explained that in Lincoln's day, the hills would have been farmland. Over the years, they have reverted to native forest land.

Borrowed view of the valley and hills

The Family Farm

It all started with this picture of a freshly plowed field and a team of horses, with the title “In Vt.” written in the sky. This picture, and Grandma Nina’s fond stories about the World War I years she and Grandpa Lionel spent on the farm in Vermont got me wondering. Could this be the farm? There wasn’t much to go on except that low range of mountains in the background.

In Vermont

I learned that my dad's second cousin, Wesley, and his wife, June, still lived in Vermont, and contacted them via email only the week before we left for Boston. I was thrilled when Wes responded, and we arranged to meet in Vergennes, Vermont for a family tour, and then drive to Essex for a late lunch.

Vergennes, Vermont

Grandpa Lionel was born in 1884, and was raised on the family farm near Vergennes. Grandpa and his siblings swam and fished in Otter Creek, which cut through the farm. He attended Vergennes High School, and claimed to not have been a very good student, but seemed to enjoy playing football.

Grandpa Lionel (first row, far right) and the Vergennes High School football team - 1903

Grandma Nina was born in 1892. Her family owned a store in Halstead Kansas, and then moved to Rialto, California in 1905 for her father’s health. Grandma was 13. Grandpa rode the rails from Vermont to California to visit family, arriving in Rialto the day after Grandma’s family arrived. Grandpa was 21. They both attended the same church in Rialto, and Grandpa became fast friends with Grandma’s older brother, Claude.

When Grandma was 20, Grandpa proposed marriage. “Ask me again in a year,” she said. Grandma confided to me decades later that she was afraid he would forget, and not ask again. During that year, Grandma worked in a store and saved her money, and they continued to see each other in the church youth group. Grandpa didn’t forget. A year later, almost to the day, he proposed again, and this time she said yes.

Grandpa Lionel Harris - she finally said yes!

Grandma Nina - after she accepted Grandpa's proposal

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With great anticipation, my husband and I drove from The Vermont Inn to Vergennes, Vermont, up Highway 7 to meet Wes and June. I recognized Wes immediately. I could see the men of my family etched across his face, especially my Dad’s uncle, Clifford. We parked our rental car and headed off together with Wes and June for a family history tour. Wes is a genealogy and family history buff. He shared stories about the family and his recollection of the folks we share in common, and I pumped him for information (I appreciated the patience of our spouses)!



Wes and June by Otter Creek, near Otter Creek Falls 

We visited the Hawley cemetery where many of the Harris family ancestors are buried (some from the 1700s), and another cemetery where many Harris and Bristol ancestors are buried. I recognized many family names.

The Bristol Family Farm

The Harris Family Farm

Next we drove to the location of the two family farms – the Bristol farm and the Harris farm. What a thrill to see the prosperous silos of the Bristol farm on one side of the road, and the wooden barns and buildings of the Harris farm on the other. I recognized the Harris farm from the picture, with the low range of mountains in the background. Another family owns the land now, and we didn’t trouble them for a tour, but it was a great pleasure to see the farm is still in use. Here is where Grandpa spent his childhood. Here is where Grandma and Grandpa tended the farm during most of World War I, where they worked hard, but enjoyed being their own bosses.
 

Vermont – Home of Freedom and Unity

After a wonderful weekend in Boston, we headed north by rental car toward Killington, Vermont, less than three hours away. I'm always surprised how close together everything seems in the east compared to the west, and how cities actually end and are surrounded by countryside. It didn’t take long for us to leave the bustle of Boston, and find ourselves surrounded by beautiful forests that became more and more colorful as we headed north.

Off-roading in Vermont

We traveled on Interstates 93 and 89, through the southwestern corner of New Hampshire (Live Free or Die), and then into Vermont (Freedom and Unity). The slightest enticement—cemeteries, charming towns, vistas, colorful leaves, a winding road—was all we needed to pull over and explore. Our destination was The Vermont Inn, located mid-state off Highway 4 between Killington and Rutland, at the southern end of the Green Mountains, running like a backbone through the state. Remember Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys?

Freshly cut field

The American illustrator, Norman Rockwell, had a studio in the area, and one of my grandfather’s younger brothers was born nearby. From this central location, we headed out on day trips to explore the state where my paternal grandfather grew up, and where he returned with my grandmother for three happy years on the farm.

Seed pod

Vermont is tiny, by western standards, so you really can go exploring all day at a relaxed pace, and make it back to the inn for a great meal and cozy evening. We spent a whole day driving north on the historic Highway 100 to Newport, close to the Canadian border. Another day we drove south on Highway 7 to visit Hildene House, the summer estate of Abraham Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln. Another day we visited as many covered bridges as we could find, and spent time at the magnificent Quechee Gorge.

Covered bridge in Taftville, Vermont

The weather was perfect for most of the week – warm and temperate by day, with cool temperatures at night. We loved the farm-to-table cuisine, the rolling hills, the forests, and the people. To top it off, our leaf peeping was superb!

Quechee Gorge from the bridge

Hardscaping at Boston Public Garden

Boston Public Garden retains many hardscaping elements from the Victorian era. Hardscaping refers to landscape elements such as paths, fences, structures, and fountains that comprise the bones or structure of the garden. Here are a few of my favorites at Boston Public Garden.

Suspension Bridge

The serpentine lake is central to the garden design, so getting across the lake would require something special. The Victorian-era suspension bridge, added in 1867, is perfect. My only complaint was the continual foot traffic, making it difficult to stop and drink in the view on both sides of the lake!

Busy suspension bridge in Boston Public Garden

Paths

Walking paths meander through the park. Since you never see your ultimate destination, it is easy to slow down and just enjoy the journey. The wrought iron fence posts seem in period, encouraging you to stay on the path.



Winding paths encourage you to slow down and enjoy the garden

Statues

The park boast many statues (including the tribute to Make Way for Ducklings, which we did not see this visit, but I have enjoyed it in my previous trips). This statue of General George Washington on horseback is especially imposing.

General Washington in Boston Common Garden

Fountains

The fountains were turned off for the season during our fall visit, but water is a great addition to the garden. I can just imagine splashing children and feet soaking adults using this shady fountain. I probably relish fountains even more than I have in the past, thanks to the ongoing California drought!

Fountain drained for the fall and winter

Boston Public Garden

The Boston Public Garden was established in 1837 to be the first public botanical garden in the United States. It is a small, rectangular parcel, bound by Beacon, Arlington, Boylston, and Charles Streets, and is comprised of 24 acres on the site of an old salt marsh.  You can see Boston Common right across Charles Street. Both Boston Public Garden and Boston Common were part of the Emerald Green Necklace of contiguous parks envisioned by Frederick Law Olmsted, but never fully realized. (We have encountered Olmsted before, as the designer of Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, and of Central Park in New York City).

Graceful willows along the bank of the lake

Central to the design is a serpentine lake, intersected by a unique suspension bridge. Mature weeping willow trees grace the sides of the lake. I can see why folks from the East frequently plant willow trees in their yards when they move to the West. They are beautiful, and would be a wonderful reminder of home (though not a good water choice in our dry Western climate). A Victorian era wrought iron fence surrounds the park.

Gum drop trees and planting bed

The lines of Boston Public Garden are curving rather than linear, reflecting the move to a more naturalistic style of gardening that was emerging. We’ll learn more about the Landscape Movement in future Gardening History posts – the style was emerging in reaction to the extravagant, manicured gardens of the Renaissance; Revolution in Europe and America; and the demands of the Industrial Age. Paths meander through the park, enabling you to stroll at your own pace (compare with the practical linear paths of Boston Common, which get you efficiently across the green belt).

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The garden uses bedding plants in the Victorian style – bright exotic flowers and plants in combination, and designed to be swapped out seasonally. Shaped shrubs are used, but not in the extravagant shapes or heights of the Renaissance. The park is home to a collection of native and exotic trees, including Ginkgo, Dawn redwood, elms and oaks, and many others, befitting the first American botanical garden and true to the Victorian zeal to collect plants and trees discovered all over the world.

Rose garden and fanciful clipped shrubs

My husband and I walked through Boston Public Garden on our way to see the beautiful and historic Trinity Church and Boston Public Library, and returned another day to stroll and explore the Garden. We had perfect fall weather – sunny, clear, and warm. The leaves were just starting to turn to their fall colors. This increased our optimism about finding fall colors on the next leg of our trip –  North to Vermont.

Fall colors and dappled shade

 

Boston Common

I love travelling on the East Coast. I have been to Boston, Massachusetts twice on business – once to visit the telephone company’s computer operations center, and again several years later to visit EMC’s operations center. Both times, I managed to stroll through Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden; walk The Freedom Trail; and view the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor. I also enjoyed delicious seafood, and explored the historic brick streets of old Boston, soaking up its rich history. I wanted my husband to have the same experiences, so I booked a hotel in downtown Boston.

Boston Common provides a park setting in downtown Boston.

The hotel was conveniently located several blocks from Boston Common, which is part park, part thoroughfare, and part garden. It is a large green belt with multiple crisscrossing pathways, and large, mature trees that provide deep or filtered shade, depending on the tree. The space provides room for assembling, and room for solitary reflection. One of my favorite things is the brightly painted street piano at the Boston Common Visitor Center that invites pianists of all ages and skill levels to sit down and belt out a tune. What could be more fun or more civilized than making music in the open air?

Parkman Bandstand and fall colors.

The park consists of 50 acres, and is bound by Beacon, Charles, Boylston, Tremont, and Park Streets (you can see Boston Public Garden across Charles Street). Two T stations and several bus lines provide easy access. Boston Common dates from 1634, and has been used as a cow pasture, a pre-Revolutionary War camp for the British, gallows for public hangings, and an assembly area for riots and protests. My husband and I used Boston Common to take pictures, catch our sight-seeing Historic Tours Trolley, and to rest our aching feet!

Deep shade and dappled shade on a warm fall day.

Leaf Peeping

It is called “leaf peeping” – the term for people viewing and photographing fall foliage that changes colors with the seasons, especially in New England. Last fall, my husband and I did just that – we became leaf peepers. Turns out, there is quite an industry for tracking and anticipating the best time of the year to view the beautiful fall colors in the northeastern United States. We learned that statistically, the best time of the year is between the last week of September and the first two weeks of October, sooner in the higher latitudes and later in the lower.

Aged farmhouse against fall colors

 

Our itinerary was to fly to Boston for a few days of sightseeing, drive north through New Hampshire and stay in Vermont for the better part of a week, and then drive back to Boston to fly home to the San Francisco Bay Area. We were motivated by early American history, architecture, and the legendary fall colors. Plus, I was on a quest to discover the family farm, where my grandparents, Lionel and Nina, spent three years in the early 1900s. They packed up and left their home in Rialto, California and ran the farm when two of grandpa’s younger brothers volunteered for World War I. According to my grandparents, these were some of the happiest years of their lives. They were their own bosses, and could sleep as late as they wanted (which was probably 6:00 AM)! I wanted to find out more about the area, the farm, and some of my relatives still living in the area.

Copse of trees with fence

I don’t know what the odds were, but we saw the leaves at their peak – especially in Vermont. The hills really do look like a tapestry of gold, red, orange, bronze, and green. The weather was warm and temperate during the day, and had a nice, crisp chill at night. Perfect conditions for beautiful leaves and the sport of leaf peeping.



Tapestry of color along historic Vermont 100