Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Spring/Summer 2008 - (Page 8)

f e at u r e : t h e g r e at g a r d e n a dv e n t u r e More Than Just a Pretty Picture “London Plane Tree Allée” assists in restoration To most people, “London Plane Tree Allée” is just another pretty picture, one of 25 paintings included in A Period of Perspective: The Art of Gertrude Penfield Seiberling, an exhibit on display in Stan Hywet’s Music Room from April 15 through Oct. 31. But the 1936 painting has served as a road map to restoring its subject, a grassy 650-foot walkway defined by twin rows of 33 London Plane Trees (a type of the sycamore) that extends from the South Terrace to Garman Road. According to Director of Horticulture Tom Hrivnak, fewer than 20 of the trees have survived in the 90 years since they were first planted. And while the Allée was photographed during the 1920s — when Hrivnak says the gardens were in their prime — the black-and-white pictures were of no help in determining the original color palette of the plantings behind the trees. Only the painting illustrated the deep red of the azaleas and alternating red and white rhododendrons. G “Great Garden Adventure” runs through Oct. 31, and is included in the gardensand-grounds admission of $8 for adults and $4 for students ages 6 to 17. (Children 5 and under are admitted free.) Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; the Manor House and gardens are closed Mondays except Memorial Day and Labor Day. For more information, call 330/836-5533, or visit www.stanhywet.org. By Lynne Thompson The azaleas, Hrivnak explains, had been replaced with another variety by a former gardener, while the rhododendrons had been overtaken by the more aggressive lavender rhododendron maximum planted behind them. “The rows had all disappeared,” he says. “It was just a jumbled jungle.” Visitors can purchase raffle tickets to win a one-of-a-kind framed giclee of Gertrude Seiberling’s “London Plane Tree Allée.” According to Jennifer Ferone, Collections Manager at Stan Hywet, the reproduction of this piece of art is so close to the original that it is difficult to tell them apart. “It’s very, very close to the original,” she says. Raffle tickets are $50 each or three for $100, and can be purchased at the Stan Hywet Museum Store until Oct. 31, 2008. All proceeds generated will benefit the Manor House Curatorial Restoration Fund. stan hywet hall & gardens magazine http://www.stanhywet.org

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Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Spring/Summer 2008

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