Somerset Hills (Basking Ridge) -- Finch Garden

Object Details

General: This 3.5 acre Basking Ridge property was the home of Elfreda and Tudor R. Finch. Elfreda Finch was a garden writer as well as an avid garden designer, gardener, and flower arranger, and along with her husband created outstanding rock and swamp gardens on the site. She was also allied with Molly Adams in preservation efforts relating to the Great Swamp. The Finches' swamp garden was especially well known for its use of native plants and its 70 varieties of ferns. The garden overall was not limited to these two specialties, however, and a 130 foot long border filled with bulbs, annuals, and perennials outlined the house's lawn area. Finch used shrubs such as yews and other evergreens to give a feeling of unity to the design, and underplanted them with a variety of ground covers. Another garden area incorporated the Japanese motif of raked sand with yucca and other plantings to suggest an arid, desert-like setting.; Persons associated with the garden include Elfreda and Tudor R. Finch (former owners, ca. 1950-1980).

Place: Finch Garden (Somerset Hills, New Jersey); United States of America -- New Jersey -- Somerset County -- Somerset Hills

See more items in: Maida Babson Adams American garden collection.; Maida Babson Adams American garden collection. / Series 1: Garden Images / New Jersey

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Maida Babson Adams American garden collection.

Collection Rights: Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Bibliography: Garden has been featured in Elfreda W. Finch, "Sun & Rock Lovers," Flower Grower (August 1963), pp. 36-37+. Garden has been featured in Elfreda W. Finch, "Designs to Surround a Home . . . ," Flower Grower (November 1964), pp. 24-27. Garden has been featured in Elfreda W. Finch, "Versatile Duo," The New York Times (July 29, 1962), p. 81. Garden has been featured in Elfreda [W.] Finch, "Suburban Swamp Garden Built by Two," The New York Times (August 30, 1964), p. 25. Garden has been featured in Muriel Freeman, "Swamp Gardens: Beauty in Winter," The New York Times (December 8, 1974), p. 132.

Scope and Contents: The folder includes worksheets, photocopied articles about the garden and the Finches, clippings, and other information.

Collection Restrictions: Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Related Materials: Finch Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (54 safety film negatives; 3 photographic prints)