Object Details
- General
- Previous owners had gardened this one-fifth acre property with a 1939 Dutch Colonial revival house, and some elements from earlier gardens have been retained by the current owners, including a Japanese maple, cleyera, deutzia, hemlock and Osmanthus, or relocated including a peony, hosta, primroses, snowdrops and Spanish bluebells. Otherwise in 1985 the gardens were overgrown, dying or filled with weeds. After clearing the owners planted a small herb garden and some flowering shrubs but had issues with drainage. They also became interested in boxwood species and cultivars and have gone on to assemble a collection of more than 30 varietals including sports. They hired a stonemason to replace the concrete front walk with soapstone and have continued to employ the artisan Toru Oba to lay a new patio, build a dry stone bed that aids drainage, lay paths, install rockwork including huge blocks that serve as benches or a table, and many other projects. The overgrown foundation beds in front of the house were replaced by four varieties of boxwood: diamond parterres now filled with ferns and taller border plants. English boxwood declined and were replaced with layers of specimen boxwood and shade perennials. Garden beds were designed to incorporate the boxwood collection along with flowering trees, bulbs and perennials, some propagated by the owners or shared by associates. Zoysia grass was planted for a more durable lawn, gravel or grass paths were replaced with soapstone pavers. The owners have planted pocket gardens in nooks including a bog garden for pitcher plants, sundews and calapogon orchids (grass pinks) in a spot that was hard to mow. A trellis built from tree limbs supports crossvine and yellow jessamine. There still is an herb garden below the back porch with lemon balm, sage, oregano, chives, tarragon, basil, lavender, and mints contained in a strawberry jar. Persons associated with the garden include: Edward F. Gilley (former owner, 1939-1950); Gordon and Mildred Wiley (former owners, 1950-1977); Robert and Tanya Artinian (former owners, 1978-1979); Ellen Thackara (former owner, 1979-1985); Henry F., Jr. and Melinda Byrd Frierson (owners, 1985- ); Sigrid Harriman (garden designer, 1997); Toru Oba (stonemason and sculptor, 1991-2012)
- Provenance
- Albemarle Garden Club
- Garden designer
- Harriman, Sigrid
- Owner
- Frierson, Melinda Byrd
- Frierson, Henry F.
- Sculptor
- Oba, Toru
- Photographer
- Erler, Catriona Tudor
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- The Frierson Garden (Charlottesville, Virginia)
- United States of America -- Virginia -- Albemarle -- Charlottesville
- Topic
- Gardens -- Virginia -- Charlottesville
- Provenance
- Albemarle Garden Club
- Garden designer
- Harriman, Sigrid
- Owner
- Frierson, Melinda Byrd
- Frierson, Henry F.
- Sculptor
- Oba, Toru
- Photographer
- Erler, Catriona Tudor
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Virginia
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Custodial History
- The Albemarle Garden Club facilitated this 2019 garden submission.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File VA493
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Rights
- Restricted. No commerical use of images.
- Bibliography
- This property is featured in "Garden Conservancy Tour Helps Cultivate a Passion for Greenery" by David A. Maurer, published in The Daily Progress, Charlottesville VA, May 17, 2007 pp. C1-C2
- Scope and Contents
- 13 digital images (2013, 2018-2019) and 1 file folder.
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210187824-0
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