Tour the gardens at The Mount, the estate designed and built by writer Edith Wharton in Lenox at the turn of the century, and see this important historical garden through the eyes of landscape architect Walter Cudnohufsky, whose popular informative tours are not to be missed. This Berkshire Botanical Garden sponsored tour will be held on Saturday, June 18 from 9 – 12:30.
In her time, Wharton was an authority on European landscape design and a passionate gardener who envisioned her gardens as an elegant series of outdoor rooms. She planned them to work in concert with the house and the surrounding natural landscape. The three acres of formal gardens that surround the house were part of a four-year garden restoration and have been replanted with flowering shrubs and the many varieties of native ferns that Wharton personally collected on expeditions around the Berkshires. The gardens include an Italian walled garden; a formal flower garden; a rock garden; a lime walk; and grass terraces. Wharton designed and built The Mount in 1902, based on the principles outlined in her influential book, The Decoration of Houses (1897), co-authored with assisting architect Ogden Codman, Jr.
As Walt shares his insights into the design principles that make the gardens at The Mount successful, participants will take part in a detailed and lively group discussion, learning about garden design as a set of planned relationships and an exercise in restraint. The walking workshop will focus on the ten important garden design principles set forth in Walt’s soon-to-be-published book. This experience will allow participants to understand and appreciate the landscape around them in a deeper manner.
Walter Cudnohufsky, MLA, is a long-time dedicated teacher. Having founded and for 20 years directed the nationally acclaimed Conway (MA) School of Landscape Design, he has honed a reasoned approach to planning and design. Currently, his firm is engaged in numerous and diverse planning/design projects throughout the region.
Participants should meet in the parking lot at The Mount, and wear sturdy walking shoes. Register online at https://berkshirebotanical.org/education/field-trips/ Berkshire Botanical members $35, nonmembers $40. Image from www.houzz.com.
