“Whimsy this way,” whispers the small sculpture of Pan near Lover’s Lane Pool. It is a stylized reflecting pool. Grassy steps invite you to sit.
Lover’s Lane Pool at Dumbarton Oaks feels like it was uncovered. It feels old. It is not something that was just built. The pool is a favorite. It is one of many outdoor “rooms.” These rooms surround the centuries-old Georgian-style mansion.
Jonathan Kavalier is the director of gardens and grounds. He knows the Lover’s Lane Pool well. The gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are unique. They are unique because of their design. Their ongoing preservation makes them special. The gardens are the best example of Beatrix Farrand’s work. She was a foremost landscape designer. She was the only woman among the founding members. They founded the American Society of Landscape Architects.
The gardens unfold around the home of Mildred and Robert Bliss. The Blisses were philanthropists and art collectors. They donated the house and grounds to Harvard University. They wanted to create a “home for the humanities.” The Georgetown property hosts fellows. They study gardens and landscapes. The public museum features art. The art dates back to antiquity. There is a rare book collection. Special exhibitions rotate. Periodic concerts are held.
The Lover’s Lane Pool has fifteen columns with urns. Farrand designed it around 1928-29. It is made of cast stone. The filtering system is sometimes off. This makes the pool algae-filled. The stonework and brickwork are elegant throughout the gardens.
Farrand’s design met the needs of the hilly landscape. She also considered her friendship with Mildred Bliss. A stone wall edges the Green Garden. It features a Latin inscription. This inscription is dedicated to their friendship. They corresponded about the gardens. Robert Bliss worked for the U.S. State Department. The couple owned the estate for 20 years. They spent most of that time living abroad.
The property once encompassed about 54 acres. The Bliss family donated roughly 27 acres to the U.S. National Park Service. They manage the adjacent land as Dumbarton Oaks Park. There is no public access between the two parks. But both bear Farrand’s fingerprints.
From the stone wall, visitors see the landscape’s challenges. Landscaping was challenging at the crest of a hill. Farrand finessed the land. It slopes about 100 feet downward to the north. It slopes 50 feet downward to the east. She created several large terraces. Each has its own personality.
Every terrace features a landing with chairs, benches and tables. Farrand designed these. The current wood versions are replicas. The originals lasted for decades. Seating nooks are built into the sides of terraces. These are one of the garden’s most interesting features. Pear trees are pruned. They create windows. Steps near the house feature oak leaf and acorn motifs. Wooden benches are broad and fanciful.
Kavalier tries to preserve Farrand’s design. He also maintains her appreciation for flexibility. He said that everything seen here is a solid representation of what it looked like 100 years ago.
The edge of Lover’s Lane Pool was originally planted with kudzu. It was then replaced with bamboo. Kavalier is working to eradicate the bamboo. It is a painstaking process.