Harvey Ladew
Encyclopedia
Harvey Smith Ladew II was an American
topiary
enthusiast, and a fox hunting
enthusiast, who created the Ladew Topiary Gardens
in Monkton, Maryland
.
to Edward R. Ladew
. He had a sister Elise Wall Ladew (1890–1978) who married William Russell Grace III.
As a child Ladew spoke French before he spoke English and was treated to boyhood drawing lessons from curators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
. The Ladew family traveled extensively, often visiting trelatives in Europe. Ladew was in Europe at the outbreak of World War I
and subsequently served during the war as an Army liaison officer for the American forces.
After the war's conclusion, Ladew returned home and withdrew from active management of the family business, instead indulging in pursuit of his own interests. One of these passions was fox hunting
. An ardent fox hunter since 1914, Ladew spent much time early in his life riding horses on Long Island
. Ladew participated in fox hunting not only in the United States, but also in England, Ireland, and France. He once set an international fox hunting record by riding to hounds on both sides of the Atlantic in a seventy-two hour period. This was accomplished by crossing the Atlantic in an amphibious plane.
In 1929, he moved to Monkton, Maryland
, where he purchased an estate. After remodeling and expanding the estate house, in 1937 Ledew began creating an extensive topiary
garden on the grounds surrounding the house (described below).
Ladew was a recipient of several awards throughout his lifetime. He was the Master of the Elkridge-Harford Hunt for several years and he received the Distinguished Service Medal of the Garden Club of America for his "great interest in developing and maintaining the most outstanding topiary in America, without professional help."
A life-long bachelor, Ladew died in 1976 at the age of 89. Among Ladew's many acquaintances were T. E. Lawrence
, Richard Rodgers
, Cole Porter
, Noel Coward
, Charlie Chaplin
, Clark Gable
, Somerset Maugham, and various members of European nobility.
led him to visit the part of Maryland
north of Baltimore. Leaving his home on Long Island
, he purchased the 250 acres (101 ha) "Pleasant Valley Farm" located in Monkton
. At the time of purchase, the house on the property was in a dilapidated condition. Ladew embarked on an extensive restoration project, rebuilding sections of the house and including modern fixtures. As reconstructed, it would eventually have 15 rooms, including an oval library called "one of the 100 most beautiful rooms in America".
In 1937 the house was mostly completed, and Ladew turned his attention to the grounds. He had discovered the art of topiary in England in the 1920s when he saw a clipped hunt scene atop a hedge in Gloucestershire
. From his trips to England and Italy
he knew what sort of garden he wanted. It was to have two cross axes to allow for the long vistas he had seen in Italian gardens with "garden rooms" off each axis. The axes meet in Ladew's oval swimming pool, placed in the center of the Great Bowl. He designed topiaries depicting a fox and hounds, a Chinese junk
with sails, swans, and a giraffe, among others.
This transformation of 22 acres (89,000 m²) of fields previously used for crops and livestock into gardens led to Pleasant Valley Farm being described as "the most outstanding topiary garden in America," by the Garden Club of America. It was later proclaimed an "exquisite garden estate" by The New York Times
.
Ladew was determined to preserve his garden for all, and so established the Ladew Topiary Gardens, Inc.
, a non-profit organization whose mission is "to maintain and promote the gardens, house and facilities in keeping with the creative spirit of Harvey S. Ladew for the public benefit and for educational, scientific, and cultural pursuits." The house, gardens, and grounds were opened to the public in 1971, hosting several events a year.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
topiary
Topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be...
enthusiast, and a fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
enthusiast, who created the Ladew Topiary Gardens
Ladew Topiary Gardens
Ladew Topiary Gardens are nonprofit gardens with topiary located at 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, Maryland. The house and gardens are open April through October weekdays and weekends; an admission fee is charged. The gardens were established in the 1930s by socialite and huntsman Harvey S...
in Monkton, Maryland
Monkton, Maryland
Monkton is an unincorporated community in northern Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It has a population of about 4,856 people. It is in area, with approximately...
.
Biography
Ladew was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Edward R. Ladew
Edward R. Ladew
Edward R. Ladew was the cofounder of Fayerweather & Ladew with Daniel Burton Fayerweather, a leather manufacturer. In 1893 he became vice president of the United States Leather Company...
. He had a sister Elise Wall Ladew (1890–1978) who married William Russell Grace III.
As a child Ladew spoke French before he spoke English and was treated to boyhood drawing lessons from curators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
. The Ladew family traveled extensively, often visiting trelatives in Europe. Ladew was in Europe at the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and subsequently served during the war as an Army liaison officer for the American forces.
After the war's conclusion, Ladew returned home and withdrew from active management of the family business, instead indulging in pursuit of his own interests. One of these passions was fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
. An ardent fox hunter since 1914, Ladew spent much time early in his life riding horses on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Ladew participated in fox hunting not only in the United States, but also in England, Ireland, and France. He once set an international fox hunting record by riding to hounds on both sides of the Atlantic in a seventy-two hour period. This was accomplished by crossing the Atlantic in an amphibious plane.
In 1929, he moved to Monkton, Maryland
Monkton, Maryland
Monkton is an unincorporated community in northern Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It has a population of about 4,856 people. It is in area, with approximately...
, where he purchased an estate. After remodeling and expanding the estate house, in 1937 Ledew began creating an extensive topiary
Topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be...
garden on the grounds surrounding the house (described below).
Ladew was a recipient of several awards throughout his lifetime. He was the Master of the Elkridge-Harford Hunt for several years and he received the Distinguished Service Medal of the Garden Club of America for his "great interest in developing and maintaining the most outstanding topiary in America, without professional help."
A life-long bachelor, Ladew died in 1976 at the age of 89. Among Ladew's many acquaintances were T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
, Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
, Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
, Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
, Somerset Maugham, and various members of European nobility.
Ladew Topiary Gardens
In 1929 Ledew's passion for fox huntingFox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
led him to visit the part of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
north of Baltimore. Leaving his home on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, he purchased the 250 acres (101 ha) "Pleasant Valley Farm" located in Monkton
Monkton, Maryland
Monkton is an unincorporated community in northern Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It has a population of about 4,856 people. It is in area, with approximately...
. At the time of purchase, the house on the property was in a dilapidated condition. Ladew embarked on an extensive restoration project, rebuilding sections of the house and including modern fixtures. As reconstructed, it would eventually have 15 rooms, including an oval library called "one of the 100 most beautiful rooms in America".
In 1937 the house was mostly completed, and Ladew turned his attention to the grounds. He had discovered the art of topiary in England in the 1920s when he saw a clipped hunt scene atop a hedge in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. From his trips to England and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
he knew what sort of garden he wanted. It was to have two cross axes to allow for the long vistas he had seen in Italian gardens with "garden rooms" off each axis. The axes meet in Ladew's oval swimming pool, placed in the center of the Great Bowl. He designed topiaries depicting a fox and hounds, a Chinese junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
with sails, swans, and a giraffe, among others.
This transformation of 22 acres (89,000 m²) of fields previously used for crops and livestock into gardens led to Pleasant Valley Farm being described as "the most outstanding topiary garden in America," by the Garden Club of America. It was later proclaimed an "exquisite garden estate" by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Ladew was determined to preserve his garden for all, and so established the Ladew Topiary Gardens, Inc.
Ladew Topiary Gardens
Ladew Topiary Gardens are nonprofit gardens with topiary located at 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, Maryland. The house and gardens are open April through October weekdays and weekends; an admission fee is charged. The gardens were established in the 1930s by socialite and huntsman Harvey S...
, a non-profit organization whose mission is "to maintain and promote the gardens, house and facilities in keeping with the creative spirit of Harvey S. Ladew for the public benefit and for educational, scientific, and cultural pursuits." The house, gardens, and grounds were opened to the public in 1971, hosting several events a year.