martinhouseclr

146 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT Vegetation around the Barton House and Paddock is limited to a placement of interpretive seasonal annuals within a planting urn (Pelargonium, Vinca major ‘variegata’) and a linear bed of hosta (Hosta spp.) set at a 45 degree angle to an alcove created by the façade of the house on the northeast side. The remaining landscape is turf grass, including the rear yard of the Barton House and the interior of the walled Paddock. The Courtyard and Porte-cochere landscape unit currently contains the most diverse selection of vegetation nearest the main complex in addition to the large expanses of turf grass. Planting areas are interpretive in nature and have been recently introduced. They include two narrow parallel perennial beds running north south, approximately 3 feet wide by 75 feet long, bounding both the east and west sides of the interior courtyard garden. The perennials include a mixture of dark blue and white delphinium, pink dianthus, foxglove, and coreopsis. The western bed includes a much higher concentration of coreopsis and did not feature flowering delphinium during the survey period. At the north end of the courtyard garden, within the fountain, is a seasonal placement of papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus). Sweet flag and a water lily species are also known to be planted within the fountain, though were not observed at the time of survey. On the north side of the fountain wall, the Garage Area sub-unit includes three main planting beds and a fourth narrow (< 1-foot wide) planting strip along the western wall of the conservatory, where a low sparse mixture of perennials have been planted (lemon thyme, lantana, annual salvia). The narrow bed along the conservatory is thinly populated with lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). Closest to the garage, the Gardener’s Cottage and Greenhouse unit includes a landscape bed meant to interpret the shape of a missing interior greenhouse walkway (with foxglove and coreopsis), and a long and low hedge of Rosa rugosa runs the northern edge the access ramp, leading from the visitor center area, and extends to the limits of the Gardener’s Cottage rear patio. The northern boundary of the greenhouse, including a remnant of foundation wall, includes a dense cover of euonymus (Euonymus fortunei). A large continuous and sheared viburnum hedge (Viburnum rhytidophylloides ‘Allegheny’) exists between the visitor center exterior and the lawn at the rear of the Gardener’s Cottage. A bed of winter creeper and grow-low fragrant sumac is nearby, adjacent to the back of the Gardener’s Cottage. The front of the Gardener’s Cottage includes a small patch of turf grass, a small Japanese maple, and trimmed viburnum and euonymus species at the foundation. The tree lawn contains an 18” dbh little leaf linden tree (Tilia cordata). Vegetation in the conservatory consists of indoor and somewhat lower-light tropical and sub-tropical plants set in individual pots within concrete growing basins. The plants are interpretive in nature and were not individually identified and surveyed. Overall, the diverse mix of indoor vegetation is lush in character and texture and includes foliage with largely green Fig. 143, top Northeast facade of the Barton House (hosta). Fig. 144, bottom Gardener’s Cottage parcel, looking east towards garage, with rugosa rose, viburnum, and interpretive perennials.