vol. 30 no. 1
fall 2012
of
INTERIORS
Fr ench Her itage Societ y Inter n helps Complete Latest phase of Historic Landscape Project by eric becker, manager of landscapes, horticulture, and modern facilities The summer of 2012 marked the third year that Drayton Hall has participated in a cultural exchange program sponsored by the French Heritage Society. Joining Middleton Place and Magnolia Plantation and Gardens as a host site, Drayton Hall has provided internship opportunities for landscape architecture students from the prestigious French National School of Landscape Architecture, the L’Ecole Nationale Superieure du Paysage Versaille or ENSP. This year’s intern, Margarita Dominique Valencia, focused her attention on conceptual planning for the terraced portion of Drayton Hall’s gardens that are adjacent to
the river. The Landscape Master Plan (2004), prepared for Drayton Hall by landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh and Sheila Wertimer, suggests treatment to this part of the landscape after removing invasive vegetation and relocating the picnic area. Dr. Carter C. Hudgins, director of education and preservation at Drayton Hall, says, “The recent rediscovery of Drayton Hall’s 18th-century terraces adds to a growing understanding of the organized nature of Drayton Hall’s extensive gardens. Shaped through human labor and accentuated with both local and imported plantings, the terraces were one of many features designed to please the continued on page 2