Private Gardens of Bethesda Saturday, June 2, 2012 10:00am-4:00pm

Collins GardenSituated on a spring-fed site just blocks from the heart of Bethesda, this sevenyear-old garden has a stream running through the front yard, sun and shade, and a public and private face.

In the front, major goals were to keep lines of sight to the street open and to rehabilitate a streambed that over the years had become choked with weeds and invasive plants. The biggest challenge for the entire site has been choosing plants that can survive and thrive with the copious amounts of moisture in the soil, while meeting the owners desire to have informal, lush, "English-style" plantings throughout the property. In 2009, this garden was honored with a Merit Award in an international landscape design competition sponsored by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).

Gutman GardenThe half-acre garden was renewed recently after the Gutmans decided to remove an aging swimming pool and concrete deck. The goal was to create a serene garden that is practical and flexible within a woodland setting in which the architecture of the house emphasizes the connection to the exterior space, and the garden is very much a part of the architecture. The reclaimed area was envisioned to be a sculpture itself, offering a tapestry of shapes and textures and providing a range of visual perspectives from inside and outside the home. A stone seat wall was built as the main feature to orchestrate the space with walks, terraces and seating areas surrounding a center lawn. Shrubs, perennials and woodland groundcover were planted to accentuate the mature white azaleas and dogwoods and seamlessly weave the existing with the new.

Jacobs GardenSince its beginnings more than 40 years ago, the Jacobs Garden has evolved with the assistance of a number of designers, starting with landscape architect Lester Collins, then the well-respected firm of Oehme Van Sweden Associates, LLC, and most recently, Clinton & Associates. Magnificent stone terraces provide the bones of the formal section of the garden, where Ms. Jacobs, a skilled floral designer, plants an array of perennials, annuals, evergreens, and bulbs for use in her floral designs. The lily pool, though well thought-out and exquisitely designed, spills down a hill as if naturally flowing from the wooded area above. Color and texture are important themes throughout the garden, providing a diversity of interest through all four seasons.

Katz GardenThis garden was originally designed and installed by Barbara Katz, for some wonderful customers. It has been published several Landscape Contractors Association. Then in 2002, through some cosmic

times, and has won a Grand Award from the

circumstances, Barbara was able to purchase

the house AND garden. Now it serves as a living laboratory, where she grows treasured specimens, experiments with all the newest plants, explores various combinations, and shares her experiences with customers.

A whimsical boxwood caterpillar yard, where a beautifully planted

greets you before entering the backhillside is topped by a lovely gazebo

and water feature. Though the gar-

den features many mature specimens, it continues to be a work in progress!

McCrillis GardensMcCrillis Gardens is an oasis of calming garden paths and shady woodland walks. Once the home of William McCrillis, an assistant to the Secretary of the Interior during three administrations, the five-acre gardens were sion in 1978. Managed by Brookside Gardens, McCrillis has been refined as a premier shade garden. Choice ornamental trees and shrubs extend the flowering season while bulbs, groundcovers and shade-loving perennials add ongoing color and texture. A pavilion and benches provide restful vantage points in this relaxing garden. donated to the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commis-

Sherman GardenThe garden makeover started in 2005, two years after Mr. and Mrs. Sherman moved to

the property. Inspired by the possibilities oflap pool was liberated from its pre-existing

fered by a serene reflecting pool, the cramped confines of a massive deck and hot tub. The

plan envisioned a haven of harmonizing garden rooms for enjoyment as well as a mechanism for infusing the interior of this relaxed contemporary home with the outdoor.

Roomy steps, terraces and stone walls transition the woodland aesthetic through the various spaces surrounding the reflecting pool and indoor areas. The hardscape is relaxed by lush plantings including masses of perennials accentuated with roses and bulbs which offer ever-changing vigor throughout the year. Accompanied by the soothing

sounds and cascading luminescence of a focal point water-wall feature, a wooden bridge disguising a pool cover box provides an inviting segue to the terrace beyond the pool.

Shimizu GardenHolly and Osamu Shimizu's garden in Glen Echo, Maryland is a good example of a garden in a small space. They have created an oasis by building a stream and waterfall that create wonderful water sounds and provide habitat for frogs, fish, butterflies and more. The gardens style is influenced by those of Japan and Europe but is adapted to America. The plant palette is a mixture of natives and good garden plants. Many types of moss are used in areas where it thrives, upholstering the landscape and surrounded by plants chosen for their form and texture. The fountain garden provides a meditative refuge, as the three tiered fountain gently splashes as it falls.

Simon Garden

Designed and maintained by the homeowner, the Simon garden is the product of twenty-five years worth of springtime troweling, ings, and winter slumbers. Featuring a wide range of plants in both broad settings and discrete vignettes situated around the acre of the Simon property, the garden represents an elegant example of an individual homeowner's ability to personally care for, nurture, and coax beauty from the natural landscape. summer weeding, autumn rak-