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Cherry Hill and Catalogue House

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Cherry Hill and Catalogue House, April 2009Cherry Hill, snow covered view with Catalogue House, 1965–1987 (detail)

Cherry Hill is an example of one of the few plantings where Farrand played with variations on a single type of bloom. On this remote hillside in the far northeastern corner of the property, she experimented with juxtaposing several varieties of cherry tree in one lush concentration. To add depth to the design, beds of bearded irises dotted the hillside below the trees. However, the irises proved too time-consuming for the garden staff to keep healthy. This complication, combined with rot and insect damage, led to the elimination of the iris beds before 1940. As replacements, Farrand placed vinca, ferns, and violets.  

A narrow, winding path passes east to west below the cherries, stretching from the Catalogue House to the Kitchen Gardens. The pathway overlooks the fence that separates the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens from Dumbarton Oaks Park.

Read more about the history of Cherry Hill and the Catalogue House in the Dumbarton Oaks Garden Archives. Drawings are available for the Catalogue House, and historic photographs for both Cherry Hill and the Catalogue House.

 

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