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A spring view of the curved slate wall in the garden designed by Daisy Farrand. The border was always filled, early with pink Darwin tulips, later with yellow Talisman roses and heliotropes or germaniums. At right, Mrs. Farrand in the 'secret' garden that she brought into being in the 1920s. were constantly changing, as new colors and textures blended with the old. The first garden constructed was located directly behind the house, nestled along a low, slate retaining wall. A little off-center to the middle a short flight of steps cut through the rock, graced at each side by a tall white urn. This wall served as background for the stately pink Darwin tulips and tiny light blue forget-me-nots that bloomed in the spring. Come summer, one of two planting schemes was used. Salmony-pink geraniums dominated the first plan. "Mrs. Wood remembers them blooming in the urns," relates Susan. Dianthus completed the scene, sprinkled along the ground at the base of the geraniums. Similar to a minature carnation, dianthus has a delicate, spicy aroma. "Daisy loved the scent," Susan remarks, "and implemented dianthus in all her borders." When geraniums and dian- CORNELL ALUMNI NEWS thus weren't used, yellow Talisman roses and purple heliotrope, another fragrant flower, took their place. To get to her second garden, Daisy walked up the slate wall-garden steps. To each side were two parallel beds, each fifty feet long and twelve wide, bordered by privet hedges to each outside edge. Between these were two smaller companion gardens with curved inner edges that softened the otherwise square beds. Both back borders and companion beds had approximately the same varieties of plants. In the foreground of each grew the inevitable dianthus. Towards the middle, pink poppies and peonies were joined by the blue spikes of delphinium, the seeds for which Daisy imported from England. Completing the picture, tall iris, asters, and phlox composed a colorful background to the flowers in front. Daisy used these blossoms inside the house as well as out, often inviting horticulture students over to make cut flower arrangements for her luncheons and dinner parties. Though it was difficult to identify
\ 'x \ ^1 The gardens of Daisy Farrand at the President's House between 1921 and 1937: 1, the slate wall; 2, back borders and beds; 3, far back borders; 4, twotiered wall rock garden; 5, the secret garden; and 6, the woodland garden. many of the plants from the photos available, Susan Cipperly had no trouble recognizing the dominant flower of the gardens. "Daisy's borders were practically a sea of white phlox," she exclaims. "They were white with pink centers, and named after her—variety 'Mrs Livingston Farrand,' as Mrs. Wood recalls." More of the same could be found in the third garden, which contained the same varieties of plants as the second. Located at the end of the backyard, this garden completed the progression of \ \ soft color begun at the slate wall-garden. Again composed of two parallel beds, it was similar to the second, but without companion plantings. The focal point of this garden was the carnage house bordering the left bed. Currently known as the Big Red Barn, this building housed Daisy's greenhouse (where she grew most of her plants from seed), her horse, and a few automobiles. The building was carefully integrated into the design of Daisy's landscape. "The Big Red Barn used to be some shade of green," explains Susan. Evidently plants were chosen to specifically complement this color. The end result was a pleasant intermingling of shades and textures, from barn to gardens, and flower to flower. Daisy and her gardener, Louis DiRusso Sr., worked daily to maintain the beauty she had created. But in 1937, the Farrands moved out of the A.D. White House, and for a number of reasons the gardens began to decline. For example, Daisy herself removed some of the plantings when she left. This changed the gardens from the start. Though DiRusso remained to look after the gardens, he had other maintenance responsibilities across the campus. During this time, the university was expanding. The Buildings and Grounds crew became responsible for an increasing number of landscape projects, decreasing the time they could spend at any one site. Therefore when President Edmund E. Day and his wife came to live in the mansion, "Mrs. Day was concerned about the gardens," relates Susan, but there was little she could do. When President Deane W. Malott took office, he and his family were the first to live outside the President's Mansion. Susan contends that with this event, "There was no longer the pressure of the president living in the house to keep the gardens maintained, or the gardeners motivated." The university redirected the Building and Grounds crew to other, more critical areas around the campus. The flowerbeds fell into disrepair. Today, little remains. The slate wallgarden is hidden by nondescript shrubs; the back borders and their companion beds are nonexistent. Though both far back borders still exist, they are planted with varieties uncharacteristic of Daisy's original design. But last fall, the first steps towards restoration were begun. In September, ground was broken to form the two back borders. These and the two far back beds will be planted this spring with the help of horticulture students from one of Professor Mower's courses. Though flowers will be similar to those Daisy used, the borders will not be identical. Professor Mower explains: "This is a garden restoration activity, but in keeping with the '80s. It will resemble the original very closely, but with some modifications." A number of factors necessitate these changes, including limited funds, landscape alterations, and the influence of modern horticulture. As an example, the left back border (as observed from the house) is slightly to the right of the original. An outdoor watering system was put in one year, and if the gardens were replicated exactly, the outlet for this would be located in the center of the bed. In planting the border gardens, some of the original varieties will be replaced by their modern counterparts. Susan ex- MAY 1984
Page 1 and 2: iPBηJi ΛJ Cornell alumni news May
Page 3 and 4: CORNELL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEME
Page 5 and 6: administrative parts—an institute
Page 7 and 8: OH* Is Democracy Safe? The View fro
Page 9 and 10: it from increased fees charged to f
Page 11 and 12: the last six years, is the new dire
Page 13 and 14: trand Heinhold). An explanation of
Page 15 and 16: the Strunk-White book, always showi
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Page 19: MAY 1984
Page 23 and 24: plains that "many are just not offe
Page 25 and 26: Walter LaFeber, the Marie Underbill
Page 27 and 28: The University- Industrial Complex
Page 29 and 30: plied research, we're clearly talki
Page 31 and 32: dertaking that improvement. The Nat
Page 33: 1984 Vacation Study lor Cornellians
Page 36 and 37: Paul H Harbach, (BArch), 90, died F
Page 38 and 39: A note from Hortense Black Pratt (M
Page 40 and 41: teaches nursery school, in Rocheste
Page 42 and 43: etired from shuffling papers (civil
Page 44 and 45: of evolution. Joan lives at 50 E 10
Page 46 and 47: taken up with politics and the Diab
Page 48 and 49: ther than 8th graders. The Murrays
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Page 52 and 53: 60 Where Are They? With the 25th a
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Page 56 and 57: Dues, no news: Janice Ostroff Berns
Page 58 and 59: irthday. Bruce works for Internatio
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Page 62 and 63: '39—Richard H Read of W Falmouth,
Page 64 and 65: state Medical School's Clinical Cam
Page 66 and 67: Also Kiplinger to lead trustees; pr
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