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Mary Palmer
Dargan, ASLA and Hugh Dargan, ASLA are the principals of Dargan
Landscape Architects. The following describes a recent project that
highlights the design studio’s approach to vernacular design.
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Landscape Design for a Mountain Retreat
On top of a mountain near Highlands, North Carolina, in an idyllic
setting with views to Blue Valley, are two nearby houses built in
the vernacular of the region: Greyrock Lodge and The Cottage. In
June 2001, Dargan Landscape Architects (in a project led by Mary
Palmer Dargan) fashioned an easy-going set of outdoor spaces when
the houses were showcased as a fundraiser. The two houses which
only months before had been surrounded by post-construction dirt
and mud were transformed into an atmospheric mountain retreat. By
utilizing natural stones, meadows, weathered wood and indigenous
flowers, a gentle landscape evolved that looked like it had been
there forever. In Mary Palmer Dargan’s words, “The point
of the design is for the landscape, the houses, and the natural
setting to seamlessly harmonize and blend together into an unmistakable
atmosphere that says—Breathe deeply and relax; you’re
at home in the mountains.”
As a site that showcased two houses, this project offered an opportunity
to design a larger number of outdoor environments than might normally
be used on a single mountain property. The gardens created are as
varied as their functions; together they provide a green textbook
surveying a host of possible vernacular outdoor environments from
a kitchen garden to a flowering meadow to a millstone fountain garden.
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A Gothic Twig Pavilion
The focal point of the design is the Gothic Twig Pavilion, which
overlooks Blue Valley. It was inspired by the pavilion at Painshill
in Surrey, England with its gothic roof line and views over the
countryside. Mary Palmer Dargan explains, “ We Americanized
this pastoral belvedere by utilizing honey locust logs for posts
and laurel twigs in the construction of rafters. In the three spacious
rooms one can grill on one side, have refreshments on another, and
dine in the center. The dining area is enclosed with movable portiers
(curtains) when a chill or rain threatens a plein air experience.”
Designing in Mountain Conditions
“Designing unique gardens for two new homes as vernacular and
architecturally important as Grayrock Lodge and the Cottage was
a challenge,” she notes. “The site consisted of alternately
rocky or muddy clay. The rains came unexpectedly and snow stayed
too long in the spring when the project got underway. Designing
the planting around the house proved to be equally challenging,
as the roof eaves at Grayrock Lodge were very low and soil was shallow.
A roadside boxwood truck that frequents the area provided enormous
6’ boxwoods—an unbelievable luxury. We planted them not
to obscure the house, but to accent it-- as if they’d decided
to grow there by themselves. Difficult conditions are often the
norm when working in the mountains; it’s part of the scenario.
You have to learn the local resources quickly.”
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Vernacular Flavor
“Throughout the project, I searched for ways to acquire and
use native and naturally weathered materials such as barn wood for
the fence, nuggets of stone for borders, and honey locust for the
rustic fencing posts in the garden pavilion. The use of numerous
lawn paths set with stepping-stones gives the site the flavor of
having evolved over a long period of time. This is especially true
along The Ramble where the path meanders between the weathered wood
fence of The Cottage, beside the existing gazebo and into the Grayrock
Meadow. Attention to these kinds of details is what builds a vernacular
flavor.”
“We used native flowers and those that would traditionally
be found in rustic gardens. We chose Soapwort (Saponaria Officinalis)
due to its function in early American kitchens as a household cleanser.
It has puffy pink flowers and is used here in the window boxes and
along the paths. Campsis Radicans flava, the Trumpet Vine,
a native plant is used to offer cover to the lampposts and Gothic
Twig Pavilion. We planted a variety of perennials in the beds in
each garden.”
The site and the design philosophy behind it offer a glimpse into
the variety and multi-functionality that can inhabit a landscape
deeply rooted in the building traditions and native materials of
a specific region. It also offers a case study in working with local
builders and suppliers. In this case, this project was made possible
by Travis and Company, Goodness Grows (perennials), and Finley Merry,
the builder and site owner. See
“Mountain House,” in the May-June 2002 issue of Southern
Accents for an article by Liz Seymour describing
the entire project: landscape and house interiors.
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