I finally got around to reading Meryl Gordon’s biography of Bunny Mellon after Vicki raved about it earlier this year. I couldn’t put it down! Vicki already did a great job of describing Bunny Mellon and some of the books Vicki received about Oak Springs last Christmas, in her January 8m 2018 post, but I had to second her comments.
All I can say is how inspired I am by who she was in her lifetime. Her personal life was not trouble free, but her lifelong pursuits in the knowledge of art, style, horticulture, landscape design, interior design, jewelry design and fashion are beyond inspirational. As Meryl Gordon described her, “Mellon was a gifted gardener with princely means and infallible taste”. She was peerless in terms of her style and insatiable eye for beauty. This book is a must-read for all garden enthusiasts and aesthetes seeking inspiration.
Oak Spring
I am with Vicki. I cannot wait to see her property in Virginia, assuming we can gain access. Currently a visit to Oak Spring is by invitation only, but shortly they will be accepting proposals from individuals and organizations looking to further the education and research of a wide array of topics that are consistent with the gardening life Bunny led.
Bunny in one of her many greenhouses with her trademark topiaries which she made famous.
Oak Spring is the primary home she shared with her husband of 50 years, Paul Mellon. Oak Spring houses her famous library, “boasting more than 16,000 objects, including rare books, manuscripts, and works of art dating back to the 14th century. The collection mainly encompasses works relating to horticulture, landscape design, botany, natural history and voyages of exploration. There are also components relating to architecture, decorative arts, and classical literature.”
Bunny’s library at Oak Spring, which she built during her lifetime
Her foundation, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, is an operating foundation dedicated to sharing Bunny’s gifts and ideas. “Its mission is to support and inspire fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants, including the art and culture of plants, gardens and landscapes.” Interestingly, the foundation is now being run by Sir Peter Crain who recently ran the US Foundation for Kew Gardens in London, another favorite property of mine.
I’ve never heard of another individual quite as inspirational as Bunny was during her lifetime. I will never forget all I learned about this remarkable woman.
