A family garden

Southern Living, Jun 2000 by Nesmith, Lynn

Durant Bauersfeld started a garden as a way to lessen stress in her life. Ten years later, a beautiful backyard is an added bonus.

I have a confession to make. I'm not a garden editor. Granted I write for Southern Living, but my specialty is homes not plants, flowers, or recipes. But that's not to say I can't truly appreciate a lovely landscape or a delicious meal-I do.

So two years ago, when photographer Jean Allsopp and I were in Virginia on a homes assignment, she suggested a little detour to visit a garden; it seemed like a great idea. Off we headed to Annapolis to check out the collaborative efforts of the Bauersfeld family: Durant, Harry, and their two daughters, Larkin and Ashton.

Jean had spoken to Durant, who said her New Dawn roses were about to bloom. The roses were right on schedule, and we weren't disappointed. In fact, the entire garden proved to be just as impressive as the gracious rosecovered arbor that welcomes visitors.

For a brief moment, I had a fantasy that I could have a garden like Durant's. I already had a little arbor in my backyard that bloomed with wisteria in spring. In my mind, I figured I could go to a local nursery, buy one of these New Dawn roses, and by summer's end have a backyard that would resemble hers.

I told Durant about my plans, and then I asked her to tell me her secret. She ever-so tactfully informed me that this lovely little hobby started more than 10 years ago with four truckloads of dirt and sand and the operation of heavy equipment. I quickly came to my senses.

The rear garden is not large, and there are neighboring houses positioned along both the sides and behind the Bauersfeld home. Landscape designer Stratton Semmes developed a thoughtful landscape plan. Then Durant and Harry set out to turn the small space into an attractive, creative, and comfortable garden.

A picket fence delineates the garden's straightforward layout, which consists of a gently rounded lawn and deep beds lining the perimeter. Harry, an engineer, designs and builds the garden structures and leaves the plants to his wife. Durant's skillful plant selection creates colorful and lush beds that make the most of the compact space. The level, grassy lawn has an added bonus; it makes it easy for their wheelchair-bound daughter, Larkin, to accompany her mother as she works in the garden.

Over the years, Durant has retained the basic bones of the garden while constantly changing and adding new flowers. She has at least 10 different clematis on arbors, fences, and one that's even climbing up into a tree. "And I've just ordered three more," she adds. "That's the fun of a garden."

Lynn Nesmith

A SECOND OPINION

Because I don't have a green thumb, I asked a real garden editor and rose expert, Liz Druitt, to offer a few tips on New Dawn. Of course, I agreed to help with color options next time she paints her home.

New Dawn is a lovely, repeat-blooming climbing rose that has been popular in gardens since its introduction in 1930. It will tolerate a wide range of soils and growing conditions, performing well from Coastal to Upper South.

The long canes can reach up to 20 feet, so plan on training them by fastening them down to a structure, especially if the rose is growing where people will pass nearby. Annual care involves training new canes and pruning out dead wood. Climbing roses shouldn't be cut back, but can be thinned of older canes if they get too bulky. New Dawn is also great for naturalizing at the edge of a meadow or growing into a tree.