Not everyone gets a chance to work on one of the most iconic gardens in the United States. Most of it was destroyed by the early 21st century, but Reed Hilderbrand LLC of Cambridge, MA, was commissioned to research its history and bring it back to life. For that, the company received a 2018 Residential Honor Award from ASLA.
The Blue Garden was designed in the early 20th century by the Olmsted brothers for Harriet James Curtis in Newport, Rhode Island. It was the center of the city's social life, where elaborate parties took place amid the pools, formal garden beds, walls and pergolas. After the owner's death, the garden was subdivided and fell into disrepair. A few years ago, a neighbor bought the property with a mission to restore and reinterpret the Blue Garden for generations to come.
Inspired by the original design, Reed Hilderbrand designed the garden to withstand a changing climate by using drought-tolerant plants and perennials instead of annuals, and thus reducing maintenance. New plantings of evergreens were placed to screen out nearby development and to preserve views of the surrounding protected agrarian landscape.
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