Enclosed Gardens
The Pebble Garden
To the east of the swimming pool is a rectangular area enclosed by wisteria-draped walls, originally designed by Farrand to be a tennis court. Beginning in 1959, Ruth Havey and Mildred Bliss redesigned the space into a Pebble Garden with pebbles imported from Mexico and set into distinct patterns and colors, in the Italian manner. Curved limestone edgings enclose beds of thyme and sedum. The shallow pebble pool was designed to be covered by a thin layer of water, but is now dry.
At the northern end of the garden is a deeper pool with three lead eighteenth-century French sculptures originally located at the Meridian House in Washington, D.C. and given to Dumbarton Oaks by Mrs. S. W. Chandler in 1959. At the southern end of the garden are carved limestone cornucopias flanking the central pebble pattern of a wheat sheaf. Set in stone below is the Bliss family motto "Quod Severis Metes" (As ye sow, so shall ye reap).
Further Information
The South Front
- South Side of the House
- South Lawn
- The Garden Library and Ribbon Walk
- East Lawn
- R Street Walk
- The Terrior Column and Enclosure
Enclosed Gardens
- The Orangery
- The Green Garden
- The Star Garden
- The North Vista
- The Swimming Pool and Loggia
- The Pebble Garden
- The Beech Terrace
- The Urn Terrace
- The Rose Garden
- The Fountain Terrace
- The Arbor Terrace
- The Box Walk
- The Ellipse