Weekly Research: Beatrix Farrand

This image shows The Rose Garden, apart of Farrand's most famous garden Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. 

Beatrix Cadwalader Farrand was an American landscape gardener and landscape architect. Her career included commissions to design about 110 gardens for private residences, estates and country homes, public parks, botanic gardens, college campuses, and the White House. 

Only a few of her major works survive: Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden on Mount Desert, Maine, the restored Farm House Garden in Bar Harbor, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden (constructed after Farrand's death, using her original plans), and elements of the campuses of Princeton, Yale, and Occidental.

Quite early in her career, the American Society of Landscape Architects was founded and although she repeatedly said in later years that she did not deserve the honour, she was made the only women of 11 charter members of the association. 

Beatrix Farrand's approach to landscape architecture was characterized by meticulous planning, attention to detail, and an understanding of the natural environment. Her designs frequently incorporated classical elements while seamlessly integrating native plants and the local area. She believed in creating spaces that not only looked beautiful but also functioned well and harmonized with their surroundings. Farrand's gardens gained recognition for their  structure, elegant compositions, and the strategic use of plantings to evoke various emotions and atmospheres within a space. Her designs continue to influence landscape architects today, emphasizing the importance of both aesthetics and functionality in creating outdoor spaces.

Dumbarton Oaks: 

Beginning in 1921, Beatrix Farrand transformed the grounds around the Georgian Revival mansion from farmland into terraced gardens that combined American and European elements. She worked with owner Mildred Bliss for decades to cultivate a landscape that evolved over time in harmony with natural changes to the environment. The Dumbarton Oaks gardens represent Farrand's signature style and are her best-known work.