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Gari Melchers Home and Studio Garden Tour
Item 8 of 19
This is a contributing entry for Gari Melchers Home and Studio Garden Tour and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.
The south lawn is delineated by a rectangular stone path marked at each corner by a triangular parterre edged in boxwood. Mrs. Melchers planted these parterres with bulbs in the spring and annuals in the summer.

Formal Garden and Paths, Aerial View

Formal Garden and Paths, Aerial View

Triangular Beds, Spring

Triangular Beds, Spring

Triangular Beds, Spring

Triangular Beds, Spring

Triangular Beds, Spring

Triangular Beds, Spring

Triangular Beds, Spring

Triangular Beds, Spring

Formal Garden, 1927, by Frances Benjamin Johnston

Formal Garden, 1927, by Frances Benjamin Johnston

Dinosaur Print Guide

Dinosaur Print Guide

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

1993 Long Walk and South Lawn Restoration

Spring bulbs in triangular beds

Spring bulbs in triangular beds

The Ficklens established the lawn and garden path to the south of the house. Georgian landscape design was based on symmetry and geometry, represented at Belmont in the four parterre beds on the south lawn, triangular beds edged in boxwood.

The triangular beds are all edged with English box planted in roses and annuals. These beds predate the Melchers era and were part of the Georgian style landscape based on bilateral symmetry. These parterre gardens were a symbol of man conquering nature and they were popular all through the Victorian era. The triangle beds are planted with daffodil and tulip bulbs for spring and planted with salvia for the summer months.

Interestingly, the stone used in the formal garden and elsewhere, particularly in the formal rectangular stone garden paths, are rich in dinosaur footprints.

The Garden Club of Virginia began its relationship with Belmont in 1993 with the restoration of the Long Walk and South Lawn area.

Ankjaer-Jensen, Beate. Mansfield Stone, March 14th 2016. Accessed May 6th 2020. https://garimelchers.wpcomstaging.com/2016/03/14/mannsfield-stone/.

Ankjaer-Jensen, Beate. Dinosaur prints to be included in the Smithsonian collection, October 26th 2016. Accessed May 6th 2020. https://garimelchers.wpcomstaging.com/2016/10/26/dinosaur-prints-to-be-included-in-the-smithsonian-collection/.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

GMHS, photo by Michelle Crow-Dolby

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Library of Congress

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