Akron -- Compact Urban and Japanese Garden at Twin Oaks
Object Details
sova.aag.gca_ref15378
- General
- The main feature of this property is a compact Japanese-style garden at the rear of the townhome built by the owners in 1991. Visits to Japan inspired the garden's creation in the approximately 0.06 acre space. Inspiration for the plant material came from the Portland Japanese Garden's trees and shrubs. A collection of 25 bonsai specimens represents 15 species with the oldest being 200 years of age. Other plantings include bamboo, a Japanese cherry tree, a Japanese maple, a Japanese white pine, a red pine, cedars, arborvita, azaleas, tree and herbaceous peonies, ferns, hosta, ornamental grasses, hydrangeas, an espaliered wisteria, and clematis.
- Hardscapes, furnishings, and accents of the garden include two teak benches, a birdbath, a Pennsylvania bluestone patio with wrought iron table and chairs for dining, sculptures of cranes and a dragon, planter boxes, a Buddhist prayer bell, four stone Japanese lanterns and two smaller metal lanterns, a Zen garden with a coin basin and 20 ton of boulders. Water features include an upper pond containing a water iris that spills into a lower pond holding water lilies, water hyacinth and koi. Stairs made of marble gravel and granite pavers traverse the garden on its east side and lead through the garden from the dwelling to an exit gate. Other pathways in the garden are composed of stepping stones. There is a wooden fence with a gate and a small greenhouse.
- At the front of the dwelling is a brick courtyard garden that the owners describe as English in inspiration. Foundation plantings and containers include seasonal annuals and herbs. Additional plant material includes ivy, azalea, rhododendron, hosta, Korean lilac and clematis. The courtyard was constructed around an old oak trunk that was struck by lightning. There is seating and accents including a sundial from Tuscany and a wall sculpture of the Greek god Bacchus.
- Persons associated with the garden include: John Vittum (designer, 1991- ) and Wilson Lewis (garden installer, 1991).
- Designer
- Vittum, John
- Garden installer
- Lewis, Wilson
- Provenance
- Akron Garden Club
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- Compact Urban and Japanese Garden at Twin Oaks (Akron, Ohio)
- United States of America -- Ohio -- Summit -- Akron
- Topic
- Gardens -- Ohio -- Akron
- Designer
- Vittum, John
- Garden installer
- Lewis, Wilson
- Provenance
- Akron Garden Club
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Ohio
- 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 Akron Garden Club facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File OH248
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Collection Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes worksheets and a features plan.
- 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.
AAG.GCA_ref15378
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6191cc457-f67d-4455-9928-405053e1cdf6
AAG.GCA
AAG
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210184645-0
Related Content
1 result(s)-
The Garden Club of America collection
sova.aag.gca
- Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Names
- New York Flower Show
- Topic
- Gardens -- France
- Gardens -- Italy
- Gardens -- Japan
- Gardens -- Mexico
- Flower shows
- Gardening -- United States -- societies, etc
- Gardens -- England
- Landscape architecture
- Gardens -- United States
- Gardens -- Spain
- Gardens -- Scotland
- Creator
- Garden Club of America
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- 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.
- Summary
- This collection contains over 37,000 35mm slides, 3,000 glass lantern slides and garden files that may include descriptive information, photocopied articles (from journals, newspapers, or books), planting lists, correspondence, brochures, landscape plans and drawings. Garden files were compiled by Garden Club of America (GCA) members for most of the gardens included in the collection. Some gardens have been photographed over the course of several decades; others only have images from a single point in time. In addition to images of American gardens, there are glass lantern slides of the New York Flower Show (1941-1951) and trips that GCA members took to other countries, including Mexico (1937), Italy, Spain, Japan (1935), France (1936), England (1929), and Scotland. A number of the slides are copies of historic images from outside repositories including horticultural and historical societies or from horticultural books and publications. The GCA made a concerted effort in the mid-1980s to acquire these images in order to increase its documentation of American garden history. Because of copyright considerations, use of these particular images may be restricted.
- Accruals note
- The GCA continues to document American gardens and submit images and documentation to the Archives of American Gardens. Further accruals are expected.
- Biographical/Historical note
- The Garden Club of America was established in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the Garden Club of Philadelphia and eleven other garden clubs met to create a national garden club. Its purpose is to foster the knowledge and love of gardening and to restore and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and gardening and conservation efforts. The GCA was incorporated in Delaware in 1923, with its headquarters established in New York City. Today, local clubs are organized under twelve regional zones. The GCA continues its tradition of hosting flower shows and publishing material related to gardening in the United States. The GCA's glass lantern slides were used by The GCA for presentations and lectures about notable gardens throughout the United States dating back to colonial times. An effort was made in the late 1980s, in preparation of the 75th anniversary of the Garden Club of America's founding, to collect the disbursed slides. These slides were to eventually form the Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens. The informational value of this collection is extensive since a number of images of the more than 4,500 gardens represented show garden designs that have changed over time or no longer exist. While the majority of images document a range of designed upper and upper-middle class gardens throughout the U.S., the scope of the collection is expanding as volunteers photograph and document contemporary gardens including community and vernacular gardens. The gardens illustrate the design work of dozens of landscape architects including Marian Coffin, Beatrix Farrand, Lawrence Halprin, Hare & Hare, Umberto Innocenti, Gertrude Jekyll, Jens Jensen, Warren Manning, the Olmsted Brothers, Charles Platt, Ellen Biddle Shipman, and Fletcher Steele. Because of their proximity to the gardens, works of notable architects and sculptors may also be featured in the images.
- Extent
- 37,000 Slides (35mm slides)
- 33 Linear feet ((garden files))
- 3,000 Lantern slides
- 37,000 Slides (35mm slides)
- 33 Linear feet ((garden files))
- 3,000 Lantern slides
- Date
- circa 1920-present
- Custodial History note
- The GCA's Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1992; this became the core collection of the Archives of American Gardens.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Slides
- Lantern slides
- Plans (drawings)
- Brochures
- Articles
- Correspondence
- Clippings
- Slides (photographs)
- Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Genre/Form
- Plans (drawings)
- Brochures
- Articles
- Correspondence
- Clippings
- Lantern slides
- Slides (photographs)
- 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.
AAG.GCALarge EADhttps://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb617385372-1028-4cb7-b07d-04fea2e51c47AAG.GCAAAG- Record ID
- ebl-1562776092361-1562776095300-0