Jun 30, 2022

MY LIFE WITH PLANTS: The Ruin Garden at Chanticleer

By Jim Bishop, for Let’s Talk Plants! July 2022.

This spring Scott and I visited gardens near Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. We revisited several gardens we had previously visited on Pacific Horticulture Society tours back in 2012 and 2013. We were especially looking forward to visiting the wonderfully creative gardens at Chanticleer which they refer to as "a pleasure garden". The garden is actually a series of gardens and garden rooms. Seven horticulturists are responsible for the design and maintenance of different areas, creating one of the most romantic gardens in North America. The gardens emphasize using plant forms, texture and colors set against unique hardscape and garden features.

The back corner of the "Pool Room" at Chanticleer Ruin Garden.

Of the gardens, the Ruin Garden is one of my favorites. In Europe you frequently see gardens that include ruins of old buildings, but it is much rarer in the U.S. Whether they are a castle, church or large house these gardens create a sense of imagined more romantic times and lost styles of living.

Sudeley Castle Ruin Garden in the English Cotswolds in 2013.

“Minder House, built in 1925, is where Adolph Rosengarten, Jr. lived most of his life. In 1999, under the vision and direction of Chanticleer’s Director Chris Woods, the house was razed and construction of the Ruin Garden began. Originally the plan was to use the partially dismantled house as the ruin, but for safety reasons the only part left of the original house is the foundation and the tile ‘rug.'”

Great Hall

The ruin is built of black granite - some polished and some left rough. The walls set the stage for showcasing mostly foliage plants and vines. The ruin has three open to the air rooms. The main room is the "Great Hall" centered on a large black granite and tile reflecting pool. The pool at first feels like a giant dining table or maybe a billiard table. But it can also take on the feeling of a giant sarcophagus.

The floor of the great hall is made of tile, granite and slate.

The table also serves as a reflecting pool.

Pool Room

Just behind the "Great Room" is the "Pool Room."

A lovely fountain sits in the corner of the "Pool Room."

On closer inspection, marble faces gazing up out of the pool come into view. It was likely designed to be observed as a surprise. But when you first realize that there are heads in the water it is a bit disconcerting, like the feeling you are being watched...perhaps by ghosts.

Perhaps things in the ruin garden aren't as tranquil as they first appeared.

Nearby in the garden is an oversized head by Marcia Donahue resting in repose.

Repurposed large chains with buckets climb the sturdy posts and are planted with succulents. They add to the sense of age - perhaps a mining operation was here decades ago?

Vines are allowed to climb and cover some of the walls. I'm curious how much maintenance is required to keep the plants from swallowing the walls.

A great plant combination - Beds filled with soft color foliage and a terrestrial orchid.

The Library

The first clue that you are in the library are the sculpted books on the floor and in the corner.

The books in the garden are the work of Berkeley, California, artist Marcia Donahue. The San Diego Horticultural Society visited her garden on a tour of Bay Area gardens in 2012. You can read more about Marcia's garden in this article from Pacific Horticulture.