A number of years ago, when I was living in Boston, I had the opportunity to visit an older

friend who had a home on Mount Desert Island in Maine, where I'm originally from.

A chance to spend a few days in and around Bar Harbor brought back to me memories of Maine

summers, fields strewn with wildflowers disappearing off into dark forests, and of course, hours of sitting

on the craggy rocks high above the sea and watching the waves crash and becoming unavoidably

covered by the salty spray. My friend was a writer and a great garden aficionado, and it

extensively studied gardens in America and Europe and led a number of

tours herself of important gardens throughout England and the British Isles. One day as we were

sitting on her great porch overlooking Soames sound, she announced, I want to show you an extraordinary

garden. The Abbey Aldrich Rockefeller Garden.

It's not that far.

The garden in neighboring Seal Harbor is part of the former estate of John D. Rockefeller

and his wife, Abbey.

The Rockefeller Garden was constructed between 1926 and 1930, and indeed has become known as one of America's most famous gardens.

The garden married the vision of Abbey Aldrich Rockefeller with that of one of the greatest

landscape designers of the early 20th century. It was, my friend explained, one of the greatest

creations of Beatrix Farrand.

As we drove along the curving roads, I stared back a little expressionless.

I didn't know who Beatrix Farrand was, which I finally admitted as I was pulled along.

Oh, you will.

I was told very firmly in that decisive, dry, New England tone that I knew

so well. And my friend was right. I did come to know who Beatrix Farron was, and if you don't,

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