I have an assignment

[Allview]

My son and daughter in law moved into an authentic craftsman house. They have

2 urns on the front steps. They would like me to plant the urns in the spring with plants authentic to the late 1920s and that will grow in a shady location. Can anybody help me on this? The house is located in Dayton, zone 5 or 6. Marilyn in Ohio

[David J Bockman]

By 'Craftsman', are you referring to a house built in the Arts & Crafts style?

Regardless, there are no plants specifically associated with architectural styles. I would recommend doing some research into the house and seeing if you can come up with older photographs depicting what the original residents planted. Local libraries, historical societies, older neighbors (or their children), and even the local newspaper are good sources.

Attempting to recreate the vegetation in the planters falls under the 'Historic Preservation' bugaboo of 'what exactly are we trying to preserve?' By that I mean, are you 'freezing' the house at a particular year, or simply trying to evoke the mood the original residents set with their plantings? It's a fun project, good luck with it!

Dave

[Cheryl Isaak]

There is a book on the gardens that Frank Llyod Wright designed to go with his homes - it's Wrightscapes and it is on Amazon.

Cheryl

[Salty Thumb]

"David J Bockman" wrote in news:ux%pd.327$M57.109@trnddc01:

I think he/she is refering to a Craftsman pre-fab that you could have bought from a Sears catalog in that era. Although why a build-it

-yourself home would have some particular plants associated with them is beyond me.

Perhaps the OP could check out an ooooooooooolllllllllddddddddddddd Sears catalog and find if/what kind/varieties of plants were available from them at that time.

[Christopher Green]

If you really want to do it right, you should consider the plantings and other features nearby, as Arts and Crafts gardens at their best are a sort of effortless-looking integrated whole more than a show of individual specimen plants.

I'd consider camellias, which are good container plants, thrive in shade, will not outgrow their space for many years, and are solid backing for other plants when they're not in bloom. Whether the hardiest camellias would still be a risk in Dayton, I don't know.

You can try Bisgrove and Lawson, "The Gardens of Gertrude Jekyll", or Jekyll and Weaver, "Arts and Crafts Gardens", for lots of ideas.

[Allview]

Thanks to Chris and Cheryl for the book references. I'll be looking at Amazon. It is a true Arts and Crafts house with a tile roof and wraparound porch. Marilyn

[Cheryl Isaak]

Color me jealous! The Wrightscapes book should be a big help!

Cheryl

[David J Bockman]

I may have spoken in haste with regard to my earlier statement. Traditionally, certain shrubs *have* been associated with architectural styles, however these trees/shrubs owe more to the generally accepted rules of garden design which coincide with the architectural movement. For example, garden design associated with the Georgian style (which is bilaterally symmetrical) would also be bilaterally symmetrical, and thus plants which are extremely amenable to tight control are associated with these gardens (Buxus, Taxus, etc.)

The Arts & Crafts (or perhaps, more accurately, the 'Bungalow' style of architecture was in many ways a discarding of the style which preceded it, and thus the tight control and use of exotics in the garden were also discarded. The Bungalow owner eschewed excessive ornamentation in favor of the native landscape, always mindful of the natural views around the home.

Dave

[Allview]

Thanks Dave. You are giving me a place to start. Marilyn