garden-design ideas from george schoellkopf of hollister house

GEORGE SCHOELLKOPF returned from a 1979 journey visiting English gardens impressed to do some garden-making of his personal. His canvas was a Northwestern Connecticut hillside and never the Cotswolds, and the house he simply bought wasn’t a grand manor home, however a easy 18th-century farmhouse.

However, George introduced the texture of an English backyard to life on the place that turned Hollister Home, which at this time is a much-visited vacation spot backyard, and likewise the positioning of a wealthy providing of academic packages all through the season, together with the favored Backyard Research Weekend early every September.

Within the gardens at Hollister Home in Washington, Conn., he has contrasted the formal and casual, made room-like areas to discover, and experimented with a wide-ranging palette of crops over time.

George can be speaking in regards to the making of Hollister Home on Saturday, Sept. 6 on the annual Backyard Research Weekend there, together with a number of different famous audio system on a range of subjects. A few of the design concepts that went into the backyard’s making have been what we talked about collectively not too long ago.

Learn alongside as you take heed to the July 14, 2025 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant beneath. You’ll be able to subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).

the making of a backyard, with george schoellkopf

Margaret Roach: Hello, George. You’re going to be joined by another famous audio system as properly on Sept. 6, as I mentioned within the introduction.

George Schoellkopf: Sure. We’ve obtained Cassian Schmidt coming all the best way from Germany, and we’ve obtained Invoice Cullina, who was once the director of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. And we’ve obtained Joanne Vieira, who’s going to be talking about The Trustees of Reservations, who’ve that beautiful backyard up in Massachusetts—Naumkeag.

Margaret: And so it’s going to be an actual range of subjects, from the ecological to I feel native shrubs and timber to make use of in our gardens to, as you say, a few of these historic type of grand estates which have grow to be enduring gardens that Joanne’s going to be talking about.

In order a customer to Hollister Home: I’ve been quite a lot of instances over time, and I’ve all the time been particularly struck by the contrasts, the sensation, the enclosed and type of protected, cozy feeling you’ve created on this very open rural Connecticut hillside—these distinct formally outlined gardens inside the backyard, these type of rooms. And I needed to begin there. I imply, that was, I presume, one of many huge inspirations from that English journey.

George: It was certainly. And also you used the phrase cozy, which could be very apt as a result of it’s a proper backyard. The English gardens that impressed me, like Sissinghurst and Nice Dixter, are formal gardens, however they’re not formal when it comes to Versailles, of rigidity. It’s a formality which is formal when it comes to an architectural format. And that’s what I attempted to do right here. I didn’t need  the backyard to overwhelm the home. It’s an 18th-century with Nineteenth-century additions, a New England farmhouse, and the backyard ought to be in scale with that. The backyard is simply too huge for the home. However I feel the best way now we have organized it that you just don’t really feel that.

Margaret: Properly, all of our gardens are too huge for our homes, George [laughter].

George: My buddy Betsy up the highway, years in the past—and I feel she meant this as a praise; I all the time took it as praise—however she remarked that this backyard is a everlasting battle between order and chaos. And I like that. I feel it’s a great way to place it.

The architectural format, the right-angle plans, the distinct rooms: They permit us to have a mode of planting which is looser and extra naturalistic than we may do if we didn’t have the framework. It’s like a panorama image from the Nineteenth century; it’s obtained the gold body that holds all of it collectively. Our hedges and our partitions are crucial in defining the construction of the backyard. After which the crops can romp and have an excellent time type of attacking, overwhelming the construction. And it appears to work. Folks appear to love it.

Margaret: Yeah, it’s totally different as a result of once more, on this space, on this rural space the place you’re, and I’m not so far-off, it’s sudden to be in these nearly enclosed rooms like what you mentioned with the partitions, the hedges, and so on., and to be inside every form of backyard image, after which you’ll be able to transfer to the following house and discover one thing else completely.

George: Sure, the totally different rooms permit us to have totally different shade schemes from right here to there. There’s a yellow border, there’s a pink border. Shade is essential to me. However principally, most of my shade selections are nearly what works, and I fear about what doesn’t. And naturally, we’re venturing now into private style. It’s fingernails on the blackboard for me if I see taxicab yellow mixed with magenta; I simply hate that. [Laughter.]

And but any individual else’s backyard, if I visited, I’ve gotten mature sufficient in my previous age that I can respect another person’s style. If somebody is visible and see issues very in another way than I do, I like that. I can take pleasure in any individual’s imaginative and prescient if it’s totally different than my very own. However my very own imaginative and prescient, I like harmonious colours that feed off one another and distinction.

Crucial, with the colour within the backyard, I don’t simply depend upon flowers, as a result of within the north right here, we’re fortunate if one thing stays in bloom for 2 weeks. Only a few flowers, except they’re annuals, undergo the entire season. So I’ve used foliage for shade. Variegated crops are crucial to me. Variegated timber.

My favourite is Cornus controversa ‘Variegata,’ the variegated model of an Asian dogwood. It’s obtained pale cream variegated leaves. It’s like a flowering tree the entire season. The opposite shade that’s crucial within the orchestration of the distinction within the backyard is purple foliage, and Japanese maples are good. Different purple, there are barberries; I like barberry quite a bit. I do know that at this level, there’s a marketing campaign to outlaw barberries in sure states, which is mostly a disgrace. The one which grows within the woods is a particular menace, no query about it.

Margaret: Thunbergii, Berberis thunbergii.

George: No query about it. However I’ve had a purple-leaved one rising in the identical spot for 35 years, and it’s by no means seeded itself. It’s totally innocent, and does good issues in my backyard. In order that’s one of many purple leaves that’s crucial in the best way I plan the rhythms of the colours, the way you stability out colours, proper?

Margaret: The invasion ecologists would say—the biologists who specialise in invasive crops—they’d say you don’t see it as a result of the birds took the fruit and flew a mile away and pooped and planted the invasive barberries within the woods a mile away. That’s what they’d say. However I’m simply saying that for the report; I get what you imply.

George: Sure, I’ve heard them say that, however I’ve by no means seen one a mile away.

Margaret: No, no, I perceive. However the level you’re making is that colourful foliage, together with from our woody crops—so not simply to depend on flowers—is critically vital to creating a backyard that actually hangs collectively in an extended season than simply that two-week interval of one thing.

George: Sure. We have to maintain the curiosity going. The opposite shade that I exploit quite a bit is chartreuse foliage, yellow foliage. And one among my favorites—and it does seed itself all over, nevertheless it doesn’t seed itself out within the panorama—is Spiraea japonica. I’ve obtained a pleasant yellow-leaf model with pale pink flowers, I neglect its identify. I’ve not less than 50 crops, 49 of that are seedlings from the mom plant. And we prefer it and we permit it to pop up right here and there.

This backyard could be very a lot about self-seeded crops. And naturally there’s a distinction between crops which are harmful and self-seed into the panorama and people that are simply invasive in your backyard. And now we have numerous these. They usually’re helpful as a result of this can be a huge backyard. They don’t price any cash. And there’s one thing about the best way nature self-seeds round, which is I can’t do it myself. There’s an vitality about the best way nature does it.

Margaret: A spontaneity. It has a spontaneity.

George: It’s fantastic in a backyard, and it’s the one means I do know to get it.

Margaret: So color-wise: You have been speaking about colours. You have been speaking about chartreuse and colourful foliage and variegation and so forth, and you’ve got some borders which are dominated by a selected shade, a pink border, and so on. Are there shade mixtures which are “very George,” any mixtures which are notably type of signature-y to you in any respect?

George: Silver foliage and white flowers I really like. We’ve got what we name the grey backyard [above], it’s one of many gardens right here. It’s actually a white backyard, however I permit some blue flowers in it sometimes, and so it’s simpler to name it a grey backyard. And now we have silver foliage, varied Artemisia, and there’s an exquisite silver-leaf tree that towers above the backyard referred to as Salix alba sericea, if I’m saying it proper. It’s an exquisite extra silver model of the white willow. It’s a excellent accent plant for that shade.

Margaret: So the silver, silver with white, and possibly a bit blue thrown in.

George: And a bit blue. Sure, sure.

Margaret: It’s so cool.

George: Blue is a superb shade, however onerous to get blue within the backyard after spring. We’ve got forget-me-nots; they’re true blue. And Virginia bluebells. After which the blues flip form of what we name Campanula blue. It’s nearly blue, however with extra pink within the shade than true blue. They usually’re good, too. However delphiniums, in fact, are fantastic, however onerous to develop right here. They don’t prefer to return.

Margaret: Yeah. One different factor that I consider about Hollister Home is that you just use water. You’ve gotten some pure water—a stream, I feel that comes alongside a part of the property—however you utilize water, as I noticed once I visited English gardens years in the past, and was very impressed by way of water juxtaposed in opposition to the crops and as a component of the backyard design. You’ve gotten varied water components in a few of these gardens. And I feel that’s a really putting a part of designing a backyard, to incorporate water into the design.

George: I might agree with you on that. We’re very blessed right here as a result of we’re on the junction of two pure little brooks, however there may be Sprain Brook, and the opposite one is so quick and small, it doesn’t have a reputation, however we use the water. There’s a pond, dammed up earlier than I obtained right here. They don’t allow you to do this anymore, nevertheless it’s grandfathered in and we take water from that. We’ve obtained a rill [above], the place we pump the water into it. It’s transferring continuously. After which now we have a reflecting pool with a bit fountain, which is completely by gravity. It’s proper from a bit stream above it, and it runs on a regular basis. It’s icy chilly. So it’s a good spot to swim on a highly regarded day.

However sure, I feel water is extremely vital. There’s a sure magic about working water. It’s fantastic to listen to the sound. It’s fantastic to see. It makes a backyard, makes a spot, particular.

Margaret: Undoubtedly brings within the birds, too. I imply, numerous the creatures additionally respect it, not simply the human guests.

George: Sure. Frogs. The frogs spawn in our reflecting pool. They don’t appear to matter that the water’s chilly, and so they’re the most important attraction for youngsters.

Margaret: Yeah, yeah. Now, plant-wise, I imply, I could also be recalling incorrectly, however you do like daylilies, for example. That’s one plant that I feel that have an effect, add numerous shade to the backyard, of their season, I imply.

George: Properly, they’re crucial for the summer time.

Margaret: Sure.

George: Spring is stuffed with actually spectacular flowers like peonies which are showstoppers. By midsummer, there are flowers, however they’re not too many huge, vital, spectacular blossoms. Daylilies can provide you that. I’ve numerous totally different varieties.

I want principally those which are extra just like the wild species, or that also seem like a lily. I’ve mentioned critically that daylily breeders at one level appeared to wish to make the daylily extra like a pansy than a real lily. And people varieties will not be. And I suppose they might be fantastic in one other place. We attempt to make our plantings look roughly pure.

I all the time say that I need it to look as if it was the plant’s concept to develop there, and never mine. Typically that’s true in the event that they self-seed, however we attempt to give a glance, which is a pure type of… We don’t need it to look self-conscious.

Margaret: Once more, I feel there’s a spontaneity to the plantings inside every of the areas at Hollister Home, a way of spontaneity.

George: Thanks. That’s an excellent phrase.

Margaret: And I do know that that spontaneity, to attain, it took numerous work [laughter]. I imply, it’s not that you just simply let all of it hang around and let the weeds take over and no matter. I don’t imply to say that.

George: Properly, generally we do, however then in fact, you need to wade in. I all the time say that you need to be choose and jury in a naturalistic backyard. It’s important to defend the harmless, punish the responsible. I need it to look as if it’s one huge, pleased, horticultural household. That’s the phantasm we’re after. Generally it’s. Generally now we have to guard crops. The crops are all the time attempting to kill different crops and take over, and as I say, you need to defend the harmless from the marauders. However we wish to look as if everyone’s pleased and there’s stability. That’s the looks that we’re after.

Margaret: Has it been an excellent rose season? You want previous roses, too, sure?

George: We don’t have too many aged roses.

Margaret: Oh, no?

George: And the hybrid teas and the floribundas, we’re just a bit bit too chilly for them to prosper. I’ve a number of previous roses that I like, one among which isn’t a Nineteenth-century or Twenties one, it’s referred to as ‘Clair Matin’ French rose; it means clear morning in French. It’s an excellent pink rose. It’s a rebloomer.

A lot of the rugosas are good. There’s a very good deep pink rugosa, a Grootendorst hybrid, the Grootendorst hybrid referred to as ‘Grootendorst Supreme,’ which is one among my favorites.

Margaret: I don’t know that one. I’ve been besieged by the rose rosette illness that’s been coming in from all of the invasive multiflora roses across the woodlands and so forth right here, and it’s being transferred. So I’ve needed to do away with a few of my remaining roses. In order that’s all the time irritating, as a result of they supply a lot shade at that type of transition season into summer time, the late spring and into summertime sometimes.

George: After which in fact, roses are intrinsically romantic. There’s simply one thing a few rose which reaches the psyche like no different flower. They’re magic, roses—or might be.

Margaret: How huge is the property—is it about 25 acres or one thing?

George: The property is round 25 acres. I ought to measure it someday and work out how huge the backyard is. Folks ask, however I don’t assume that means; I don’t understand how huge the backyard is. It seems most likely greater than it’s as a result of while you divide house, you make it appear larger.

Margaret: Proper, proper. And also you’re on a hillside—that’s one other factor. I imply, I’m on a hillside additionally, and at first, once I got here right here years in the past, and it was like, “Oh, properly, wait a minute. That is extra sophisticated. How do you make gardens on this uneven terrain and on these totally different ranges and so forth now?” In order that was one other problem that you just confronted.

George: It was certainly, as a result of I don’t thoughts being on a slope if I’m going from right here to there, however as soon as I get there, I need it to be flat. I need it to be the extent floor. Once I purchased the home 45 years in the past, the one flat house on the entire property was the driveway, and naturally there’s no backyard there.

So we obtained within the bulldozers and we obtained within the wall-builders, and we terraced the backyard, which is terrifying while you do it as a result of there’s no dwelling factor that’s left after the bulldozers come by way of. You’ve killed all the pieces, nevertheless it’s price it in the long term.

It additionally gives a substantial amount of drama within the backyard, to have it terraced. You look on one part, you lookup at one other. Terracing is fantastic. It’s costly to start with, nevertheless it’s price it, and also you solely should do it as soon as. It’s important to mow you garden each week. In order that was an added alternative for garden-making right here.

Margaret: And you actually couldn’t have carried out the formal rooms and so forth, erected these hedges and partitions and no matter on the unique terrain. You needed to create these touchdown pads for these forms of gardens.

George: Sure, I feel so. A sloping terrain shouldn’t be actually congenial with a proper plan.

Margaret: And in order if this isn’t sufficient, you even have one other backyard in California, proper? [Laughter.]

George: I’m afraid so, sure. Glutton for punishment.

Margaret: Is it addictive? Is that the issue?

George: In fact. The nice factor is I can develop all the issues that I can’t develop right here. A minimum of a lot of them; even the English can’t develop the issues that I can in California. One of many nice studying curves for me, eager to make an English backyard right here in Connecticut, I got here again and not less than half of the crops that I used to be in love with that I’d seen in England don’t like Connecticut.

So it’s taken a few years to find what likes us and what doesn’t, and what permits me additionally to develop crops chockablock intently collectively, which the backyard books typically say you shouldn’t do. It’s most likely true the plant can be happier when you gave it a foot of house round every plant, however then again, that doesn’t make a lovely backyard. So we develop numerous crops right here possibly not in a great means for the plant, however in order that we paint photos with the crops. And that takes some experimentation, as a result of not each fantastic plant will assist you to develop it chockablock near its neighbors to create that form of intense horticultural expertise.

Margaret: Proper. I simply wish to type of invite folks to form of partake. So that is actually an exquisite vacation spot, once more, in Northwestern Connecticut, in Litchfield County. And also you’re open a pair of-

George: We’re open three days every week: afternoons, Wednesdays and Fridays, after which a lot of the entire day Saturday. Additionally for personal teams, if folks wish to make an appointment; we do backyard excursions.

Margaret: Oh, nice. And there are continuously academic or type of further occasions that individuals can come to, artwork occasions and different academic type of occasions.

George: We do. We’ve got a really giant 18th-century barn that has been rebuilt for human habitation. It’s air-conditioned and it’s heated, and now we have lectures, now we have demonstration courses, primarily within the spring and the autumn. Within the summertime, folks appear to be busy, however now we have a full, full schedule of lectures. And even plant gross sales.

Margaret: I feel I’ve binged a bit bit at a few of your plant gross sales [laughter]. Oh my goodness.

George: I prefer to see the backyard when it’s cool and nice to be in. As soon as each month through the summer time months, now we have a night with wine so that individuals can come and benefit from the backyard within the cool of the night.

Margaret: Properly, I’ll give all of the details about visiting, and particularly about upcoming packages, particularly Backyard Research Weekend, which is the weekend of Sept. 6. And you’ve got type of a day of talks-

George: Lectures, sure, after which now we have a backyard get together, and now we have backyard excursions.

Margaret: On Sunday, the day after, you could have excursions of close by gardens. So it’s an excellent vacation spot occasion.

(Images from Hollister Home.)

extra from hollister home

want the podcast model of the present?

MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its fifteenth 12 months in March 2024. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention regionally within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Jap, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the July 14, 2025 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You’ll be able to subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).