If the United States had a royal garden, Shearon and Taylor Glover’s meticulously maintained acreage might fit the bill, not for its size but rather for the attention to detail and the many hands involved in its thriving allure. The classic formal façade and entryway of boxwoods outside their Atlanta home is understated compared to what lies beyond in eight scenic rooms, each with a purpose and beauty all its own.
“At the front of the property, the appearance is very strong and simple. As you enter the more private areas, it’s still very refined—and more interesting,” says Alex Smith, whose firm, Alex Smith Garden Design Ltd., implemented the master plan, which was a collaboration between Atlanta landscape architects Richard Anderson and Yong Pak.
The visual masterpiece of the palatial European design is the lush lawn off the center of the home with a sight line stretching to an oval fountain and a wall of arches flush with Akebia vine. The architectural symmetry gives rise to the lawn between two wings of the home that define the space, enhanced by a pair of mirror parterre gardens on either side.
Fond of French garden style and flowers, Shearon wanted each alfresco room to have its own character. A kitchen plot is fragrant with herbs and offers a bench to rest and admire an arched espalier as well as the Yorkstone used throughout the premises. As you pass through a porte cochere, a well-appointed auto courtyard awaits, complemented by a potting shed with graceful, curved shutters and stone. Both beautiful and functional, the space is used to arrange blooms from the cutting garden like ‘Blush Noisette’ and ‘Mother of Pearl’ roses.
Alex continues to work with the homeowners to keep their vision at its peak year-round. He especially enjoys the simplicity of the parterre gardens with their Korean boxwood, spirea, and roses. Other areas have deliberate functions, like the linear pool perfect for relaxing or swimming laps. Alongside the pool, an elevated iron and vintage-wood arbor designed by landscape architect Rick Anderson is trained with ‘Amethyst Falls’ wisteria.
Alex says listening to his clients and careful plant selection are central to the maintenance process. Elements like light patterns, drainage, texture, and color are a few of the factors that must be weighed. Constant editing is also required as conditions change. “In a garden like this, you lose trees, or they get bigger [and overgrown], and you are constantly tweaking the design,” he explains.
Read the full “Rooms with a View” feature in our May/June 2022 issue.
By Marie Baxley
Photography by Mac Jamieson
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