The source of our inspiration

All AALD courses are named for important gardens. Each of the gardens chosen to represent our courses made an impression upon founder Tim Thoelecke. These important gardens have withstood the test of time because their underlying structure is sound. Gardeners and plants come and go, but the “bones” hold them together.  Some were created by respected garden designers, and others were the source of the designer's respect. In any case, good design is good design. Although we don't expect all of our students to produce gardens anything like these, we hope they will at least learn what makes them great and be inspired by them.

Why are courses for the American Academy of Landscape Design named after English gardens? It’s simply because Tim first studied design in England, and these important gardens made a big impression. The Academy is American. Good design is universal.

Sissinghurst Castle 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst/

When people think of English gardens, Sissinghurst is the one to which all others are compared. It is one of the first gardens Tim visited when studying in England, and it left a strong impression. Sissinghurst is one of the world's most celebrated gardens, the creation of Vita Sackville-West and her husband Sir Harold Nicolson.

Vita and Harold made a garden which reflects their different personalities. Harold, a classicist, designed the geometric layout of the garden using the walls & buildings already in place, and Vita, a romantic, planted it profusely.

On the grounds of an Elizabethan castle, Sissinghurst is composed of many different garden rooms, all connected by axes and well-placed focal points. Each garden room is visually and physically connected to those adjacent, and the garden as a whole has a strong relationship to the building.

The garden was first opened to the public in 1938 and ownership was transferred to the National Trust in 1967.

Barnsley House

http://www.barnsleyhouse.com/

Barnsley House was the home and garden of Rosemary Verey. Of the many important gardens in England, this one is very much on a human scale (4 acres). The Laburnum Walk with its sundial focal point is well-known. As a student, Tim was able to visit this garden in a couple different seasons. At its peak, the Laburnum Walk is spectacular, but it doesn't lose anything other than color in the winter. The integrity of Barnsley House's design is intact year round

Although the garden has a strong design underneath it, it is/was definitely a gardener's garden.It was Rosemary Verey's home.

From the Barnsley House web site:

The garden at Barnsley House is enchanting, one of England's finest and most famous. Not grand or forbidding, this is a place where you can truly relax, with charming walks, sunny terraces and knot gardens, beautifully ornate formal lawns, ancient meadows and ungoverned wilderness. Read by the temple and pool garden in the late afternoon sun or enjoy a long drink on the verandah with friends. Allow yourself to be spoilt or left entirely alone.

Since her death in 2001, the property has become an exclusive Inn and Spa.

Hidcote Manor Garden

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-hidcotemanorgarden/

A garden strong in its architectural layout, Hidcote is another garden that made an impression on Tim as a student. Located in the beautiful North Cotswolds, Hidcote is a series of outdoor rooms each with its own unique character.

Designed by Major Lawrence Johnston, an American, born in France, who later became a naturalized Englishman. Hidcote is the result of many influences.  Diverse plantings are given a sense of formality and organization by tightly clipped hedges and topiaries. Vistas and pathways connect individual garden rooms, but also connect the garden to views beyond the garden. The garden includes water features as well as masonry walls which reflect a certain European influence.

Says Tim, "I particularly remember a large Cedar of Lebanon which anchored the whole site. It was spectacular." This garden teaches some great lessons in combining different design styles and influences into a cohesive, thoughtful composition.