Garden Collections: Ornament

In the tradition of European garden design, Mildred Bliss and Beatrix Farrand incorporated a rich mixture of garden ornament, some purchased and some designed. Many of the pieces designed by Farrand were inspired by other sources, including ornament she had seen in her travels, objects within the Blisses’ house collection, and drawings sent to her by Parisian designer, Armand Albert Rateau. As the Blisses were often away in the early design years, Farrand developed a number of mock-ups or dummies for their approval. Within the Dumbarton Oaks archives, a multitude of drawings and photographs show design ideas that were altered or rejected. In later years, Ruth Havey added much of the ornament that enriches the garden’s design today.