william e. esarey | wee landscape architecture | placemaking | gardens | site planning | design
lexington | louisville
Bluegrass English Farm and Garden
2015 American Society of Landscape Architects Award Winner
Kentucky Chapter
The curved field stone seat wall frames the farm view. The native wildflowers and old fashion perennials create a continuous bloom spring through late fall.
The native plants and wildflowers lead to a quite seating area in the corner of the garden. The area has great views of the farm with a stone seat wall and fire pit for warming after the fall race meet.
Fence as Art Bluegrass Heights Farm, a division of Three Chimneys. The layout of the field fencing was treated as art.
The curved field stone seat wall frames the farm view. The native wildflowers and old fashion perennials create a continuous bloom spring through late fall.
Bluegrass Heights Farm
Preserving the past and protecting the future
A Division of Three Chimneys Farm
History of the site
Bluegrass Heights Farm is a storied farm on the developed edge of Lexington, Kentucky. The farm was the birth place of Seabiscuit, Kentucky Derby winners Black Gold (1924) and Burgoo King (1932). The farm sold the development rights to Lexington, Kentucky’s Purchase of Development Rights program (PDR.) By doing so the farm halted development out Old Frankfort Pike. The PDR sale puts the entire farm under a conservation easement that prohibits the development of the site in perpetuity. The farm is also under an ISTEA grant protecting the view shed into the farm. Seven historic structures fall into the ISTEA jurisdiction.
Environmental and Historical Responsibility in the new Design
The two Blue Line streams were turned into riparian zones. The farm is committed to the riparian zones and maintains their native plant community integrity. The new farm plan reused the roads in the historically significant portion of the site. To access new barns roadways were placed outside of the view shed below the ridge line to avoid the rich ridge topsoil and all significant trees.
Equestrian Design as Art
There are many functional concerns in the design of paddock and pasture fences. All of the functional requirements of the horse and operation must be met. Horse fences be they white or black are visual elements in the landscape. Careful attention was taken to create broad sweeping curves in the landscape that related to the lay of the land and created pleasing visual lines in the landscape.
The Residence and Gardens
A touch of modern, English garden, in a Heart of the Bluegrass traditional setting. In the front a traditional oval entry drive is placed in a bluegrass lawn area circled with Redbud, Red and Pink Dogwoods to scream celebration on Derby Day. In the back bursts of colors for each major equine event when the client visits Kentucky. Spaces were created for groups, cool evenings after the races, and flowing lines for a relaxed stroll through the gardens when no one else was there. The lines are clean but inside the lines is a kaleidoscope of color April through October.
Olmsted Brothers 1938 Update The gazebo overlooks the slate quarry pond. It is a great place for quiet contemplation, small gatherings and large where it can be a band stand for the event lawn.
The event lawn, turf panel, is a great place for large gatherings. It is ideally located with views of the slate quarry pond and pool areas. The event lawn is designed for tented events, garden parties, and a great wedding garden.
The slate quarry is a quarter acre pond that can be viewed from the gazebo, lawn panel, and pool areas. The water fall is a natural rock out cropping that has natural and infrared filtered recirculated water. The water fall adds sound and beauty to the garden area. Given some time the circulation system should make the solid black slate sides and bottom visible.
Olmsted Brothers 1938 Update The gazebo overlooks the slate quarry pond. It is a great place for quiet contemplation, small gatherings and large where it can be a band stand for the event lawn.
Morgan Foods Corporate Retreat
1938 Olmsted Brothers Update
Austin, Indiana
Project Scope / Client Desires
Morgan Foods undertook a major renovation / update of their historic Austin, Indiana residence. The project was to become a place where dignitaries and visitors could stay while visiting the Morgan Foods Plant and a place for corporate events. William E. Esarey, wee landscape architecture was asked to lead the design process. It was very important to the client that the original Olmsted Brothers Plan be followed as much as possible. The client also had desires that were not considered in 1938 residential plan that are important in 2014.
Research and Analysis
wee secured historic documents available through the National Park Service, Fredrick Law Olmsted National Historic Site. The front of the house today is as the Olmsted Brothers designed. The back however had many unanswered questions. The archives revealed the Olmsted Brothers did four concepts for the family private area. wee’s analysis of the site revealed the remnants of the built plan did not match any of the concepts. It is suspected that field changes occurred during construction, but there were no records of field changes.
Crafting the Plan
wee pulled together the consistent design elements from the four concepts, a formal garden, iris and peony garden, garden rooms, central garden fountain, pool area, gazebo overlooking the slate quarry, turf panel, terraced steps, walls, ashlar cut Indiana limestone paving around the pool, circular limestone nodes at entry points, and fence and gates. wee crafted the historic elements into a plan based on the found remnants on site. Keeping the Olmsted Brothers design elements in proper relationship and adding the modern elements outside the core of the design. Outdoor kitchen area, hot tub, ADA access, outdoor eating / entertaining areas, and pleasure horses.