Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Parterre at Deep Cut Gardens

Click for a nicer view!

Are you wondering what a parterre is? Don't speak French?

;-)

A parterre is a symmetrical garden, often with roses or perennials and boxwood hedges. They're meant to be viewed from above, to better appreciate the pattern of the design, but I preferred the ground-level view of this still young planting.

I've been watching this one take shape for a couple years now at the local horticultural park. It was nice the other day to find that the park system had reached the final stages of restoring this treasured part of the many display gardens at Deep Cut.

I think the view will be gorgeous in the wintertime from the top of the hillside by the rockery - the weeping hemlocks there laced with snow - and the curving lines of the boxwoods in the parterre outlined in white, too.

A pic of the parterre from two summers ago is
here. I can't imagine how much nicer it'll be two years from now.

8 comments:

Susan Gets Native said...

"Parterre" isn't French for "party"? Shoot. I've been using it incorrectly all these years?

: )

Jayne said...

Wow... what a beautiful job they did to restore it. Can't wait to see your photos in all seasons! :c)

Dr. Know said...

Eh, the domain of the rich and idle. Now show me one with apples, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and spaghetti. ;-)

Dr. Know said...

And this should be particularly important to you, Laura, your neighbors are losing their small farms while these decadent spawn of the Spaghetti Barons stuff their faces with Big Agri-Corp noodles.

Humble Land Gardener said...

It looks beautiful. I was there maybe last year, they were still working on it. I live in the neighborhood so I definitely will go there soon.

Dr. Know said...

OK - no sense of humor.

Nice garden, nevertheless. Down here, the boxwoods are evergreen, is that true in NJ as well? I guess it would be near the coast.

KGMom said...

The before and after photos are very interesting.
So return next year and the year after--to keep the evolution of a parterre garden going.

LauraHinNJ said...

Susan: lol!

Jayne: Yeah... it's pretty.

Dr. Know: Thanks for those links. I think I liked the Ikea commercial the best.

;-)

Humble Land Gardener: Hi and thanks for commenting.

I'm not sure they're done 100% yet, but it sure is an improvement.

Dr.Know: Boxwoods are everygreen, yeah. Planting so many in rows like this is just asking for at least 1/3 of them to die anyway.

KGMom: I will do, yeah.