The Not so Secret Gardens of UVA - Part II

Sunday May 3, 2014
Charlottesville, Virginia

 

 

This is the second part of a post on my Sunday Morning at the University of Virginia’s Pavilion Gardens.  It will make little sense other than the pretty pictures if you haven’t read part I about the Rotunda and the Lawn and the Map of this wonderful place.  So go on back there and read it if you didn’t.  Grab a drink, some snacks, click here and then come back for Part II.

For those of you who already saw the map, the pavilions, the fabulous flowers,  and the artistic gates, just a reminder, that this is not chronological walk with me as I often do, it’s a mish mash of all 10 pavilion gardens highlighting their variety.  They are all SO different.  Ok then, now, as I was saying……..

 

The Paths

When you go through the gates, you find yourself in a magical land of paths winding through the beauty. I usually spent my lunch time in a different garden each day and in all seasons and weathers.

 

 

 

 

 

In the lower right hand picture you can catch a glimpse of the famous serpentine walls. More on them in a bit.

 

I certainly never had a spot like this to study when I was in college.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Benches.

Like the gates, the benches are in all different designs although all are white and tucked in and among little alcoves. Few folks are out this morning but during lunch on week-days you can often find people stretched out on them taking a nap. Guilty as charged.

 

 

 

The Pavilions.

The professors who live in the pavilions are used to having people walking around in their gardens. I hope they didn’t mind me taking some pictures. I didn’t see anyone out or I would have asked.

None of these is the same home.

 

 

 

There are other sorts of other rooms and accomodations tucked away here and there as well.

 

 

 

 

 

The picture below was taken from the lower garden area looking up the steps to the upper garden area. You can barely see the Pavilion at the top at the end of the walk.

 

 

The unknown.

Not sure what these little doors were. Perhaps servants quarters originally. UVA was a school for southern gentlemen most of whom brought their man servants with them. FINALLY in 1972 it became a co-ed school and now women outnumber men in the undergraduate college and in many of the highly ranked professional schools such as Medical, Law and Architecture.
Or maybe these were out houses of the time.  Now garden sheds.  Pretty cute if they were.

 

 

 

The famous Serpentine walls

And now for the serpentine walls which separate the gardens. Jefferson’s ingenuity here is rightly famous. The walls are called "serpentine" because they run a sinusoidal course like that of a snake or a wave which lends strength to the wall and allows for it to be only one brick thick. It is one of many innovations by which Jefferson attempted to combine aesthetics with utility and in this case frugality. Jefferson realized that by building a wall that curves, one uses 25% fewer bricks as compared to a straight wall. The curved wall can support itself while being only one brick thick instead of two.

But they are really hard to get photographs of from anywhere but above. And even that is tricky with all the beautiful old trees in the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s hard to say which is my favorite.

These last pictures are of one that I really love.  I like it especially because the lower part is not really landscaped. it is wild, filled with early ephemeral wildflowers. Today the Virginia Blue Bells, the may apple, the blood root, giant trillium and the wild columbine are simply lovely and make a great environment for these two students who were studying as I walked around taking pictures near the end of my morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are driving up 95 through Virginia, take route 64 West to Charlottesville, or if you are driving north on I 81, take Route 64 East to Charlottesville and be sure to take the tour of the University of Virginia. After that, walk through the beautiful gardens. But be sure to allow enough time. It’s another world you are entering.

 

If you live here and have never done this or haven’t done it in years.  What are you waiting for? 

 

Time is up here in Virginia.   I’ll be writing to you from Greenbelt National Park next time.