Chase Garden Orting,

Wa

The most striking thing about Washington State’s Mount Rainier is its singularity. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States. In addition to that distinction, it is topographically isolated. Basically, as flying over it reveals, it sticks up in the middle of nowhere, and has no similar peaks near it.

The Chase Garden, a passion project of Emmott and Ione Chase, is also prominent and remote. It sits in the foothills outside Orting, WA, and, on clear days, has an amazing view of its volcanic neighbor some miles distant. It takes some work to get to the garden—and the “Volcano Evacuation Route” signs along the way will make you think deer aren’t the worst threats to gardens after all.

The mountain, and the vistas and plant-life surrounding it, inspired the Chases, who worked with landscape architect Rex Zumwalt to design the garden. They then built and planted it themselves, along with doing all the finish work on their new, now classic, mid-century home.

The garden is often called one of the finest in the “Pacific Northwest” style. That means that its design doesn’t get in nature’s way and artfully combines mid-century and Japanese design. Instead, it highlights the beauty of the region. It works with and adapts to the environment around it, connecting the outdoors to interior living space while being sensitive to both. Its plants, rocks, and water integrate seamlessly into the landscape.

Thirty-three years after the garden was first designed and created, the Chases came to the Garden Conservancy for help in making it an asset to the community at large. The Conservancy accepted a conservation easement on the property and a “friends group” was formed. The Conservancy, in an atypical move, took over all aspects of direct management of the garden and its small staff. The Chases lived well into their nineties. When they passed, the property was left to the Garden Conservancy, with Chases’ wishes to make the garden public. It was the first and only time the organization was in the position of owning a garden that it helped to preserve.

For multiple reasons, the ownership and management position became untenable, and efforts to collaborate with local nonprofits, which were deemed essential to the ongoing success of the garden, did not lead to a sustainable long-term solution. The difficult decision to sell the property was made, but not before the conservation easement, under which the new owners took title, was strengthened and expanded. Extensive documentation work was also initiated to preserve the legacy and story of Emmott, Ione, and their garden.

As in all garden preservation projects, many component details must align, especially financial resources and context, and an army of passionate and dedicated volunteers, organizations, and stakeholders are necessary to make things go. All situations have their challenges, and some are more challenging than others.

Sometimes a story of prominence and isolation ends in a way not anticipated. In a unique twist the Chase Garden went from private, to public, to private again—but it has been saved, with measures in place to ensure its future. It is in good hands. It is once again locally owned, by people enthusiastic about both the historic garden they care for and its story. It is open to the public at least twice a year.

Juliette Low Gordon Birthplace Savannah, GA

In 1953, Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA, commissioned landscape architect Clermont Lee, the first registered female landscape architect in Georgia, to design the garden at her home. In 2016, a proposed renovation threatened to destroy the garden. The Garden Conservancy joined other preservation organizations and sent two letters—in 2018 and again in 2020—encouraging consideration of alternative renovation plans. The garden was razed in 2020.

Justin Smith Morrill Homestead Strafford, VT

The historic home of Justin Smith Morrill (1810 – 1898), who served in the United States House of Representatives and Senate for nearly 44 years, was one of the first National Historic Landmarks recognized when the program began in 1960. Morrill was a serious student of landscape gardening; his designs and plantings are in the best tradition of the Romantic landscape movement in America, at once formal yet picturesque. In 1999, the Garden Conservancy advised the newly formed Friends of the Morrill Homestead and, in 2002, made a grant to help implement the preservation master plan.

Keil Cove Tiburon, CA

A 34-acre property on the shores of San Francisco Bay, Keil Cove’s landscape was created 1890s by John McLaren (1846 – 1943), the horticulturist and landscape engineer responsible for designing and developing Golden Gate Park. Landscape architect Thomas Church (1902 – 1978) contributed an important component of the landscape surrounding the main house, a garden that survives as one of the few remaining examples of his early work. In 2002, the Garden Conservancy accepted a conservation easement on the property to protect its conservation values. Monitoring continues annually.

King’s Garden Ticonderoga, NY

King’s Garden, on Lake Champlain north of Fort Ticonderoga, is a Colonial Revival garden inspired by eighteenth-century military gardens. Around 1920, landscape architect Marian Cruger Coffin (1876 – 1957) was commissioned to design a new garden plan. In 1993, the Garden Conservancy hosted a design charette at the garden to plan its restoration and the following year commissioned a cultural landscape report. Through the 1990s, the Conservancy continued to advise and to provide letters of support for grants to help fund the restoration. In 1995, the gardens were restored and later opened for public visitation.

Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum Knoxville, TN

In 2001, after a group of local citizens bought the property and were unsure of next steps, the Knoxville Botanical Garden executive director reached out to the Garden Conservancy for advice. In collaboration with the Knoxville Botanical Garden board, the Garden Conservancy prepared a program plan detailing recommended phases for garden restoration, public access, visitor services, and educational programming. In 2006, the Garden Conservancy provided further assistance in implementing a master plan and identifying staffing needs and funding sources.

Ladew Topiary Gardens Monkton, MD

Now a public garden known for its remarkable topiaries, Ladew Topiary Gardens was established in the 1930s by socialite and huntsman Harvey S. Ladew, who, in 1929, had bought a 250-acre farm to build his estate. In the early 1990s, the Garden Conservancy provided recommendations and resources as part of Ladew’s long-term preservation planning for the garden.

Linwood Gardens Linwood, NY

A private garden in the farmlands of New York State’s Genesee Valley, the original garden at Linwood was designed in the early 1900s with an Arts & Crafts summerhouse, walled gardens, pools, and fountains. The Garden Conservancy provided technical assistance to the nonprofit Linwood Gardens, Inc. in 1999 and participated in a roundtable discussion on preservation issues in 2002.

LongHouse Reserve East Hampton, NY

A sixteen-acre property created by internationally acclaimed textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen (1927 – 2020), LongHouse Reserve is a remarkable integration of nature, art, and design. In 2012, the Garden Conservancy conducted a garden assessment and made recommendations for garden management.

Longue Vue House & Gardens New Orleans, LA

Renowned landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman (1869 –1950) designed the gardens at Longue Vue, a National Historic Landmark, in 1934. Following severe damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Garden Conservancy staff and a team of volunteers went to the garden to assist with recovery efforts on the ground. The Conservancy also co-sponsored an event with the New York Botanical Garden to raise funds for the garden’s recovery. The Conservancy placed an intern in residence in 2008 to implement initial phases of the restoration, funded a landscape renewal plan, and, for several years, continued to provide technical assistance and help with program development and creation of a long-term maintenance plan.

Lotusland Montecito, CA

Madame Ganna Walska, a well-known Polish opera singer and socialite, purchased the estate in 1941 and spent the next 43 years creating Lotusland. The spectacular collections of exotic plants throughout the 37-acre property are a very personal expression of Walska’s penchant for the dramatic, the unexpected, and the whimsical. In the early 1990s, the Garden Conservancy assisted Lotusland’s trustees in raising awareness of the garden as it transitioned from private to public. In 2018, the Conservancy partnered with Lotusland to present a “Gardens in Paradise” program of garden visits in celebration of its 25 years as a public garden.

Lyman Estate (The Vale) Waltham, MA

A historic country house located in Waltham, MA, the Lyman Estate, also known as The Vale, is now owned by the nonprofit Historic New England. The estate was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 for both its architecture and its landscape design, which has retained much of its original eighteenth-century character. The Garden Conservancy provided technical assistance and preservation planning to the Lyman Estate in the mid-1990s, as well as a report assessing the condition of the garden’s hardy plants.

Madoo Sagaponack, NY

Over 40 years, artist, gardener, and writer Robert Dash (1931 – 2013) established a highly stylized, green encyclopedia of gardening on two acres of land, featuring Tudor, High Renaissance, early Greek, and Oriental garden influences. In the early 1990s, the Garden Conservancy helped launch the Madoo Conservancy, a nonprofit foundation with a focus on study, preservation, and enhancement of Dash’s garden and artistic legacy. The Madoo Conservancy operates the garden as a public resource and cultural center.

Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center Garrison, NY

A National Historic Landmark, Manitoga is the house, studio, and 75-acre woodland landscape of mid-century modern industrial designer Russel Wright (1904 – 1976). In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Garden Conservancy provided technical support to Manitoga, defining landscape priorities and providing letters of support for grant applications. In 2011, after Manitoga sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Irene and an untimely late October snowstorm, the Garden Conservancy worked with Manitoga’s Woodland Landscape Council to assess damage and implement clean-up efforts.

Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar Wilmington, DE

Landscape architect Marian Cruger Coffin (1876 – 1957) designed the gardens at Gibraltar, the former estate of Hugh Rodney Sharp and his wife, Isabella Mathieu du Pont Sharp, who purchased it in 1909. The nonprofit Preservation Delaware, Inc. took ownership in 1998. The Garden Conservancy provided a garden survey, advised on a master plan to restore the gardens, and provided technical recommendations for garden rehabilitation and letters of support for grant applications.

Maudslay’s Gardens Newburyport, MA

An early work of landscape architect Martha Brooks Hutcheson (1871 – 1955), one of the first female members of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Maudslay’s Gardens are located in Maudslay State Park. In 1999, the Garden Conservancy assisted in developing fundraising strategies to support the restoration and maintenance of the gardens. In the early 2000s, the Conservancy collaborated with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management, the National Park Service, and the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation on a garden restoration project.

McGinley Garden Milton, MA

The McGinley Garden was designed in 1925 by landscape architect Ellen Shipman (1869 – 1950). The estate’s formal garden is an excellent example of early twentieth-century garden design and of Shipman’s design philosophy: the close integration of house and garden. As of this writing, both the house and garden, which are privately owned, are threatened by development. In 2020, the Garden Conservancy joined scholars and cultural organizations in opposing the development proposal.

McKee Botanical Garden Vero Beach, FL

An 18-acre subtropical botanical garden founded in 1929 by Waldo Sexton and Arthur G. McKee, the garden’s streams, ponds, and trails were designed by tropical landscape architect William Lyman Phillips (1885 – 1966). Most of its land remained vacant for twenty years until the Trust for Public Land and Indian River Land Trust collaborated to purchase the property in the mid-1990s. Between 1996 and 2004, the Garden Conservancy helped develop a master plan to preserve and re-open the garden, reviewed proposals for the garden’s botanical and interpretive program, advised on hiring a horticulturist, and held a reception at the garden in conjunction with a Vero Beach Open Day. The garden is now a Florida landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.