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Saturday, July 30, 2011

Richard Galef's garden

Richard Galef
Earlier in the week, I posted about industrial designer Richard "Dick" Galef's 1953 trashcan. While researching Galef, I found out about something equally interesting...his passion for gardening.

Thirty years ago, urbanites Susan Anthony and Richard Galef bought a tiny farmhouse nestled in the hills of Craryville, New York. They set about clearing trees and scrub brush, enlarging the house and creating a garden that now covers 57 acres, which includes a large planned woodland grove with stone paths, a pond surrounded by trees, grasses and exotic bog plants, an expanse of wild white roses, perennial beds, moss beds, a cut stone sculpture, wild woods, meadows and a 5-acre lake built by Galef to recover a swamp filled with dead trees. From their terrace, they can see a ledge of white rock shaped like a whale, which they call Moby Dick.

Anthony once painted landscape-inspired abstract paintings, so she uses her knowledge of color and is in charge of flowers and plants. Galef, with the eye of an industrial designer, has designed hardscapes and tends the maple trees he loves.

Their garden was open to the public in June as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days Program, which includes garden tours in eleven states. I'm eager to find out if Galef and Anthony participate in the program annually.

From gardenconservancy.org and catskillmtn.org


Rock path in the planned woods
catskillmtn.org

Tree peony in the Galef-Anthony garden
catskillmtn.org

Lake on the Galef-Anthony property
gardenconservancy.org

6 comments:

  1. I see a pattern here...most industrial furniture designers have a super green thumb..to much of metal around them must prompt them to love greenery

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  2. @sudha: I hadn't thought about that, but if my work surrounded me with wood, metal, plastic and upholstery all day, I would consider working with green, growing things a nice alternative.

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  3. I'm going to have lunch with Mr. Galef next Thursday

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  4. @Jonathan: That's wonderful! I can't wait to hear all about it. I had read on Modish that he had agreed to an interview with one of the frequent contributors but then inexplicably stopped returning phone calls or emails. I'm glad you were able to schedule a lunch. I'm excited for you!

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  5. Interesting inspiration and pattern, very close to my own garden.

    Jean

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    Replies
    1. I'd love to have a garden that size! We do have that same style rock walkway in front of our house though.

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