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Article from copied from The American Florist October 31, 1903
This article is also included in the Vegetation Renewal and Management Guidelines, 1992 report from the Conservancy, checkout the complete report by clicking here |
Tracing of Garden Design 1903 |
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The park system of Albany comprises of Washington park, area ninety acres, Beaver park seventy-five acres and a number of lesser reservations aggregating about eight-five acres. Washington park was laid out thirty-three years ago and has the distinctions of being one of the oldest in the long list of city parks now existing. Although of moderate extent as compared with many other metropolitan reservations it presents in a note worthy degree every desirable nature of a popular recreation ground and is so cleverly laid out and planted that to the visitor it appears to be of much greater area than it actually is. Of the ninety acres, sixty-five are in lawn and six in water. There are six miles of walks and there are three miles of driveway, and points of interest are well distributed over the entire territory. Although there are several buildings of considerable architectural beauty and two notable monuments-one being the famous Claverly statue of Robert Burns and the other a fountain surmounted by a figure of “Mosses Striking the Rock”- at the chief charms of Washington park is its simplicity, its restful landscape effects, its aquatic gardens- impressive yet unobtrusive- and especially in the extreme neatness everywhere evident. There are two sections of moderate intent reserved for flower gardens, one known as the Willet street gardens and the other as the fountain gardens. A view in the first of these is herewith given. Of all the examples of park bedding which the writer has seen the Willett street garden pleases best. The grouping is in good taste as to form and color, well adapted to cater to the popular love for flowers and massed colors, yet with-out strained effects, and when seen at its best in the July and August days goes far to remove the prejudice born of distaste at the incongruous constructions and discordant mixtures one finds so often in grounds of this character. A good view of the gardens can be obtained from several slight eminences and the city constructions are entirely concealed by the border plantings. The skyline in any direction is particularly effective, and at early morning or sunset, the garden has great charm. The beds about the fountain are composed of verbenas and heliotropes planted in mass. We think, however, that the fountain would look much better if these formal features in its immediate neighborhood were omitted, but the designer appears to have been the original offender in placing a regular stone curb around such a work. To give a better idea of the contents of the various flower beds than is afforded by the accompanying illustration we present a simple tracing of the ground plan of the Willett street garden and complete index to the same as planted for 1903. Beds No. 1, 19 and 21 are combination sub-tropical foliage and flower beds for high center effect. The contents of the central bed (No. 1) enumerated from the center outward to the edge were Ricinus Borboniensis, Canna robusta, Canna Austria, Canna Crozy, Caladium esculentum, Salvia aplendens, Ageratum Blue Perfection and golden alternanthera. This bed is thirty- five feet in diameter and the central plants fifteen feet in height. Bed No. 19 was composed of Ricinus arborea, Canna Austria, Canna Alphonse Bouvier, Canna Pres. McKinley, Achyrantbes Emersoni and golden alternanthera. Bed No. 21 was planted with Ricinus arborea, Ricinus Gibson, Canna Queen Charlotte, Canna Pres McKinley, Achyranthus acuminata and golden alternanthera. Bed No. 2, Canna Miles. Berat bordered with ageratum; No. 3 Canna Egandale with Cineraria maritima; No. 4, Canna Eldorado with red alternanthera; No. 5, Canna Manna's Ideal with variegated alyssum; No. 6 Canna Miles, Crozy with Achyrantbes Emersoni; No. 7, Canna Alphonse Bouvier, with olden alternanthera; No. 8, Canna Queen Charlotte with Achyrantbes acuminata; No. 9, Canna J. D. Cabos with Cineraria maritima; No. 10 and 12, Geranium Wm. Park (a dark red seedling) with Geranium Miles. Salleroi; No. 11, Geranium Streak of Luck with bronze alternanthera; No. 13, heliotrope with red alternanthera; No. 14 and 16, mixed geraniums with golden alternanthera; No. 15, Begonia Vernon and hybrids with bronze alternanthera; No. 17, heliotrope with bronze alternanthera; No. 18 and 20, tuberous begonias, single and double, bordered with bronze alternanthera; No. 22. 23, 24, 25, crotons in variety with Dracaena indivisa; Nos. 26 to 47, selected annuals changed several times during the season; Nos. 49 and 52, greenhouse plants plunged in pots; Nos. 50 and 53 ferns plunged in pots; No. 51, fancy-leaved caladiums; No. 64, coleuses in variety. At the corners of the walks in the shade, the smaller palms and exotics were grouped. The illustration shows one of the beds of tuberous begonia, No. 18 in the diagram. This and the corresponding bed (No. 20) were among the most beautiful is the garden. The somewhat heavy effect of the large glowered varieties was overcome by, liberal use of such sorts as Due Zeppelin, Vesuvius and Lafayette. All the beds are planted in the fall with tulips, hyacinths, narcissuses, crocuses, pansies, daisies, ect, for early spring effect The mall is a transit walk well shaded and arched over with large elms. This walk is bordered with large palms during the summer. The Willett street interior park walk is shaded on the street side by elms and a twenty-five foot border of flowering shrubs and on the garden side by Norway maples. There is a vista 1,800 feet is length extending through the park on this walk and on the mall. The character of the tree growth is well shown is the illustration. The maintenance of the entire garden section is entrusted to one gardener who mows the grass, keeps the beds in order and answers numerous questions and does it all well. The preparation and planting is done by the park force. The details of the next year's planting are planned in advance and the number of plants of each variety to be propagated carefully estimated W. S. Egerton, the superintendent of Albany's park system, whose portrait we present herewith, has given the best part of his life to the park interests of the city, having had continuous charge of Washington park since its beginning a generation ago. He takes much pride in work and is always ready to give full credit to his workmen when they do well. That he has held his position so long without interruption through all administrations is a striking tribute to his fitness and highly creditable to the city he serves. Bookkeeping and account forms for same by R. F. Tesson, as lead at the Milwaukee convention has been printed in pamphlet form by the American Florist and will he mailed Free on request to any florist. Employer may have extra copies to distribute among their employees. The address is of much permanent value and well worth the study of our young men. |
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