Sunday, August 8, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – An Intimate Garden Tour: The Garden of Louis Raymond
Blithewold invites you beyond the garden gate to tour this charming local property on Sunday, August 8, from 2 – 4 pm. As part of a small and informal group, discover the Garden of Louis Raymond’s story and distinct collection of plants. See the landscape through the eyes of the owner and come away with new ideas and a fresh perspective. Each Intimate Garden Tour is unique, but all afford the opportunity to explore and ask questions.
Garden designer Louis Raymond has been at work on his own gardens, in Hopkinton, RI for thirteen years. The property is only an acre and a half, but appears much larger because it is almost five hundred feet deep and comparatively narrow. The 18th Century house is right out at the road, typical for its era, which handily leaves the majority of the property free for the gardens. They are Louis’s wild experiment, where he is free of the need for the realistic levels of practicality, economy, and functionality that typify his projects for his clients.
At home, untold hundreds of plants — tender and hardy, easy and challenging — fill the vast mixed borders and crowd around the dining terrace. Complex espaliers and hedges-to-be divide up the property, while bluestone and grass create a network of long pathways that bring it all somewhat closer to hand. It’s the project of a lifetime!
Check out how his garden has been doing at www.renaissancegardening.com/gar_louis.html
and at his blog, www.DirtOnTheKeys.blogspot.com.
*In the case of heavy rain, participants will be notified of cancellations by phone. If you do not hear from us a few hours before the program start, the program will run as scheduled.
Directions to the site will be mailed a few weeks prior to the tour. Light refreshments will be available. Registration is limited and required in advance.$30 Blithewold members, $35 non-members. For more information call 401-253-2707, or email jmurphyedu@blithewold.org.
