martinhouseclr

40 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT On October 5, 1904, an “experienced English gardener” named Harry Hebditch arrived at the still-under-construction Martin House, and was to assume responsibility for the yet to be developed (or even fully designed) gardens. 85 The very next day, Martin received a reply letter from Wright detailing the status of the planting scheme: 86 My dear Mr. Martin:-- Concerning the planting of the grounds;-- The general scheme has been determined upon and the Barton premises worked out in more detail. All that remains to be done for that particular portion of the work is for Mr. Griffin to complete the diagram in detail. He was engaged upon it when I left yesterday but went to the [St. Louis] Exposition last night taking it with him to finish up on the way. You will probably receive it from him in a day or so. As to the balance of the work be advised to wait until Spring! Spring planting is quite as satisfactory, moreover, the building operation is not really in shape as yet to proceed. The Barton premises are in better shape and you can put that in. I really want to put more 85 DDM, Memorandum, 5 October 1904, MFP-UB. Incidentally, Hebditch’s term as gardener would end before the majority of planting was installed in May of 1905. He would only be involved in the planting of the Barton House environs. 86 It is not known from which request or correspondence from DDM the October 6 reply letter from Wright responded to. No previous correspondence from Martin specifically asked for the planting plan, but given the amount of discussion revolving the greenhouse and conservatory at the end of September, it can be assumed they discussed it at length. study on the balance of the work than would be possible in time to grade this fall. I fail to see where you will lose by planting the more important portions of the grounds in the Spring. Yours truly, [unsigned copy] 87 When Wright notes in his letter that Griffin had been working on the plan “yesterday,” and took it with him to the St. Louis Exposition, it is likely that he is referring to the Barton House “particular portion of the work” alone, and not the planting plan for the entire grounds. Likewise, Wright suggests that Martin wait until spring for the “balance of the work,” noting that the “more important” portions of the site require more study on his part. Martin agrees with Wright two days letter: PLANTING. Your ideas in main coincide with my own. I haven’t the remotest idea of planting where workmen will trample. My gardener is here and can just as well as not put in the shrubs on the ground that can receive them just as well as not. There will be no more workmen on, The Barton lawn. Barton back yard, 1/3 of Martin lawn East of flower garden terrace wall, North and flower garden 87 FLW-DDM, 6 October 1904, Trans. Jack Quinan 2003, WMP- UB. We want to plant these, therefore, this fall, and I hope that you or Mr. Griffin will forward in time enough data to enable us to proceed with it. If you think best I will be glad to pay the expenses of a trip to Buffalo by Mr. Griffin next week. No doubt he could help the Heaths out some while here. We won’t plant a thing this fall that would better wait until spring. 88 89 Martin is clearly in agreement that, except for the Barton House, the majority of planting could wait until spring. However, one could recognize that, as the main house begins to take shape on the site, Martin begins to envision and pine for his garden and notices the lack thereof. A second “shrubbery list” is sent to Martin a week later, presumably taking precedence over whatever list was sent on 3 August. Along with that list is Martin’s somewhat passive request and comment on the hemi-cycle: It would hardly be wise to plant the hemicycle this Fall, but we won’t turn you down on it. We have always doted on hemicycles, and feel their lack. 90 Martin does not receive a hemicycle planting plan during 1904. In fact, Martin does not receive any planting plans in 1904 despite the Barton House 88 DDM-FLW, 8 October 1904, Trans. Jack Quinan 2003, WMP- UB. 89 Though no post-planting photos exist of the Barton rear yard except for one several years later near the wall, this generally describes the assumed extent of planting in fall of 1904. 90 DDM-FLW, 12 October 1904, Trans. Jack Quinan 2003, WMP-UB.