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Centre Island -- Suzy and Carter Bales Garden

Smithsonian Gardens

Object Details

General
In 1978 the owners purchased a six-acre property with a Tudor-style house built in 1908 that, along with the gardens, had been neglected for 40 years. A dying apple orchard, fall-blooming species crocus and a few irises survived plus ivy and honeysuckle vines. The first garden they planted was a kitchen garden, followed by colorful azaleas as a foundation planting for the house. Their landscape architect, Alice Recknagel Ireys, removed the azaleas, famously saying they looked like a motel garden. The garden rooms Ireys designed include a formal walled perennial garden with a reflecting pool and small fountain, a crescent-shaped rose garden backed by a holly hedge and edged in front with dwarf boxwood; she connected these to the kitchen garden via an S-shaped lilac and peony walk. A small orchard was designed for the front of the property fenced by espaliered apples and pears. Two ponds were constructed with water draining from the smaller into a stream then down a waterfall to the larger pond to be pumped back to the first pond via an underground pipe. The former carriage yard was paved with flagstones placed far enough apart so groundcovers could grow between them. A swimming pool and tennis court also were designed by Ireys. The owners replaced hybrid tea roses with antique, English and shrub varieties and filled in the lilac and peony walk with more plants for continuous bloom and fragrance from April to October. They planted a woodland walk with spring bulbs and ephemerals, shade-loving perennials and shrubs for summer bloom, and included other plants for their fall color. The courtyard garden has a dogwood tree, sunflowers growing between the flagstones, and five-foot-deep garden beds with mixed perennials and bulbs. Climbing vines were planted to adorn the walls of several outbuildings. Trees that were planted in front of the house are surrounded by "petticoats" of flowering perennials or annuals that grow into island beds to replace grass. Salty sea breezes were a challenge that has been mitigated by the holly hedge, four-foot tall stucco walls, and the woodlands. The owner is an award winning garden writer, lecturer and advisor to public gardens. Persons associated with the garden include: Suzy and Carter Bales (1978- ), Alice Recknagel Ireys (1911-2000) (landscape architect, ca. 1980- ).
Landscape architect
Ireys, Alice Recknagel, 1911-2000
Owner
Bales, Suzy
Bales, Carter
Collection Photographer
Druse, Kenneth
Place
Cropthorn (South Euclid, Ohio)
United States of America -- Ohio -- Cuyahoga County -- South Euclid
Topic
Gardens -- Ohio -- South Euclid
Landscape architect
Ireys, Alice Recknagel, 1911-2000
Owner
Bales, Suzy
Bales, Carter
See more items in
Ken Druse garden photography collection
Ken Druse garden photography collection / Series 1: Garden Images by Site / United States of America / New York
Sponsor
Cataloging of this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
Archival Repository
Archives of American Gardens
Identifier
AAG.DRU, File NY981
Type
Archival materials
Collection Citation
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Ken Druse garden photography 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.
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
See also Syringa File in the Druse collection.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1562717430039-1562717430097-2
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6c3ddeb3b-838a-4bc0-a831-e0cfee71bfed

Related Content

  • Ken Druse garden photography collection

Centre Island -- Suzy and Carter Bales Garden
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