Manitoga ~ The Russel Wright Design Center

      I am excited to start my Internship here at Manitoga, the home and woodland garden of pioneer Industrial Designer, Russel Wright.

      Manitoga is a National Historic Landmark and is a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Artists Homes and Studio's site, as well as the only 20th century modern home open to the public in New York State.

       My first project this season will begin with the woodland path, and clearing twigs and leaves from the surrounding pond borders and waterfall area.

   These small excerpt from Russel Wright's 12 pg booklet "A Garden of Woodland Paths" describes perfectly the landscape and views that he created from 1942 through the 1970's.

I have also included my photo's, some of which I too took today, which (amazingly) show the landscape remains ( in many ways) as it once was.

" Hypatica is planted on both sides of the stone steps leading to the lady slipper room.  The lady slipper and the other wild orchid, rattlesnake plantain, have seeded themselves in many areas outside this room.  In fact, they form the overall pattern of the whole walk."

"This is the highest point of the path and here you can carefully step out on the crown of a sheer granite cliff which drops straight down to the water of the pool thirty feet below.  You look out across the pool, the trees beyond the dam, and see a bit of the Hudson River and the mountains on the other side of it."

     

   "A curving flight of stone steps lead down to a mossy plateau where I cleared all the trees except a small grove of twisting grey birch. A friend has dubbed them the Martha Graham girls, because they look like dancers. In the spring the moss is dotted with tiny bluette flowers.  Here one always pauses to look across the pool to the waterfall and its fifteen cascades. Next you pass by large hemlocks in front of which I have planted chickory whose grey leaves and blue flowers contrast with the somber trees."

Did I mention how excited I am with my adventure towards preservation?  Stay tuned for more exciting updates on my horticulture projects.


Hug a Tree :P