• Gaiety Hollow: Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver

Lord & Schryver Conservancy blog

~ A personal look at the ideas, inspiration, and hard work that go into the Lord & Schryver gardens.

Lord & Schryver Conservancy blog

Monthly Archives: May 2022

Corrected link: Purchase tickets now

09 Monday May 2022

Posted by Lord & Schryver Conservancy in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

The Lord & Schryver Conservancy Neighborhood Garden Tour will be held on Saturday & Sunday, June 4 & 5 in Salem’s beautiful and historic Fairmount Hill neighborhood. The tour includes 12 unique residential gardens all within walking distance of each other. The Robertson Garden, along with three other Lord & Schryver-designed gardens, will be featured on the tour. We hope to see you there!

Purchase tickets now

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

A Sneak Peek at the Robertson Garden…#5 on the June Garden Tour!

09 Monday May 2022

Posted by Lord & Schryver Conservancy in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

In 1931, Mildred Robertson, the wife of a prominent Salem physician, asked Lord & Schryver to design a garden plan for their stately home located in Salem’s Fairmount Hill neighborhood. The catch was that Mrs. Robertson only wanted to pay $75 – $100 to develop a master plan. Lord & Schryver were perplexed that a client would assume they would agree to manage the entire project – from design to installation – for this small fee.

When Edith provided an initial “Sketch Plan,” the Robertsons wanted to purchase it outright for $50. Elizabeth wrote to Mildred that the firm did not operate this way. “We are awfully sorry that you feel that the price is more than you can afford. Under the circumstances, we suggest a price of $75 which could be paid at intervals during the year. We could make the front design and planting plan, and later, when you wish, draw up the rear part of the plan. I do not see how we can possibly lower our fee and we hope you and Dr. Robertson will consider this proposition.”

Robertson Garden Design Plan

The site the Robertsons purchased was one of the most challenging the firm would deal with in their practice. It was a modest-sized lot with a steep slope and a 20% grade change. The Robertsons had hired Salem architect Clarence Smith, a colleague of Elizabeth, to design their new home. 

The architect centered the house halfway up the slope from the street. Edith designed the shrub-lined driveway on the diagonal, ending in a parking area in front of the house that included a small lawn defined by low stone walls and shrubs.

The real garden was in the rear. Edith created three garden levels running parallel to the house. The first, a stone-flagged terrace 84 feet long by 15 feet wide, was on the same level as the house, creating an area with easy access for entertaining.

The first terrace behind the house.

Steps led up to the second level, a narrow terrace with flagstone paving and a sundial. A few more steps led to the third level, which opened onto a lawn.

View of the second terrace.

The property’s boundary was informally planted with a variety of evergreen and flowering trees and shrubs. There was a small porch overlooking a naturalistic garden with a rockery pool, forming a cool, shady oasis.

The Garden Today

The current owner, Alan Beardsley, is carefully restoring the garden. When Alan purchased the house 18 months ago, he also acquired the adjacent lot. “I recently became the curator of this beautiful garden.  The original design and plantings were very well-conceived, so I concluded my focus should be to bring new vitality by restoring portions.  Only now am I viewing some plants in bloom.  I enjoy selecting new specimens, planting them with care, and conversing with friendly neighbors who share a love of botanical beauty and stewardship.  In quiet times, while working in a secluded spot with Victor (beloved corgi) at my side, I realize our private location was once included in a watercolor sketch that the “Ladies” had rendered.”

Victor supervising the planting of a rose bush.
Pathway to the upper terrace.

The Lord & Schryver Conservancy Neighborhood Garden Tour will be held on Saturday & Sunday, June 4 & 5 in Salem’s beautiful and historic Fairmount Hill neighborhood. The tour includes 12 unique residential gardens all within walking distance of each other. The Robertson Garden, along with three other Lord & Schryver-designed gardens, will be featured on the tour. We hope to see you there!

Purchase tickets now

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 572 other subscribers

Archives

  • December 2022
  • May 2022
  • September 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013

Categories

Search posts

Blogroll

  • C & R Remodeling
  • Lord and Schryver Conservancy
  • Oregon Heritage
  • The Garden Conservancy
  • WordPress.com News

The Conservancy

  • Lord and Schryver Conservancy

The Garden

  • Lord and Schryver Conservancy

The House

  • Lord and Schryver Conservancy

Tags

"Documenting the Cultural Landscapes of Women" Aegopodium annuals April archives awards Bill Noble boxwood brick pathways brick restoration Bush House Museum camellias Campanula Clarence Smith Architect compost daphne Deepwood Deepwood Gardens Ellen Biddle Shipman fences flowers forgetmenots Gaiety Hollow Gairty Hollow garden garden benches garden design gardening Garden in winter gardens Garden Tours garden volunteers gates Historic Gardens Historic House and Garden historic photos historic preservation House house remodel hummingbirds January June Lord & Schryver Lord & Schryver Conservancy Lord and Schryver May National Register of Historic Places November Open Garden Oregon peonies pruning pruning boxwood hedges repairing historic garden hardscape repair of wooden garden structures Restoration rhododendrons salem seeds Snow in the Garden Spring spring bulbs spring garden Sprinkler system installation stump removal Summer tree planting trees tulips vintage garden photos Volunteering weeds white oak women landscape architects Zinnias

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Lord & Schryver Conservancy blog
    • Join 572 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Lord & Schryver Conservancy blog
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: