SPRING FLING IN A GARDEN

What a glorious time is spring! In spite of my allergies, I love spring. This past weekend, Darling Daughter 2 took me to the annual Chandor Gardens Spring Fling in Weatherford west of Fort Worth TX. As we approached, we saw that cars lined the street outside the gardens and filled the parking lot, but we scouted parks anyway. Luckily for us, we caught someone leaving and scored the perfect park closest to the garden walkway. How often does that happen?

Are these blue bells?

Once we were inside the gardens, the brisk wind didn’t reach us, and we enjoyed our time among vendors, flowers, artists, and a lovely setting. The sky was the gorgeous blue seen only in the Southwest “land of the tall sky.”  We found a handcrafted jewelry vendor and DD2 bought a couple of necklaces and I bought a small metal cross.

Too bad I didn't bring a book. This is
the perfect place to curl up and read

Although I enjoyed browsing the artists selling their paintings, I didn’t buy. My home’s walls are already too crowded.  My wallet was safe there and Hero was relieved to learn I hadn't "lugged home" something else.

Japanese Fountain with twin dragons

While DD2 visited with friends, I spent a few minutes seated on a bench near the Japanese Fountain. Overhead, a large tree spread its branches upward. Nearby a man selling handcrafted flutes demonstrated his wares and provided delightful melodies that reminded me of Native American flute recordings. We were there early—too early for the Jazz Band from Weatherford College, but I was content with the flute’s gentle strains.

I love purple iris because they were my mom's
favorite and remind me of her.

Renowned English artist Douglas Chandor moved to Weatherford from England to please his wife, the former Ina Kuteman Hill. Chandor counted among his famous portrait subjects the Queen of England, Winston Churchhill, and Dwight Eisenhower. Chandor Gardens used to be a showpiece at first called White Shadows Gardens.  For many years, the gardens were open to the public at certain times, much like stately English homes, and became a locally famous tourist attraction.

Flowers line walkways. 

The estate is four acres. The house sit on a hill overlooking the city. Chandor directed work that surrounded his gardens by an elaborate network of walls that enclosed an array of plants and trees, Chinese pagodas, a Japanese water garden, and a miniature replica of Mount Fujiyama. Although his claim to fame was his talent as an artist, Douglas found his real passion as a gardener. He once told Ina that his talent for painting was merely a means that enabled him to fulfill his dreams of building a "living artwork."  

This Chinese lion and his mate stand guard at a walkway

Water is almost as much a focus as greenery. Wherever you look here, there are fountains, Koi pools, and man made streams. Benches dot the gardens at spots perfect for meditating and enjoying nature. Seeing the gardens today, realizing they were carved from a pasture on a chalk hill is difficult. Chandor's vision created beauty.

Secret hideaways are tucked in to surprise the visitor.

After Douglas Chador’s death, Ina eventually had to be placed in a nursing home for an extended stay. Her nephew was in charge of her estate, but was eventually forced to sell off most of the treasures to pay her bills. By the time of Ina’s death, the famous gardens had become overgrown and disheveled.  For years, the estate stood in sad disrepair.

No, these aren't remarkable. but they remind
me of those my grandmother grew each summer.

Eventually, a civic minded couple, Charles and Melody Bradford, restored the home and gardens. I hope karma repays them a hundredfold for rescuing this property! The Bradfords sold the restored estate to the City of Weatherford at a bargain price. Now the city maintains the gardens and rents out the home for weddings and receptions. The former groundskeeper’s cottage is reserved for brides to change into their wedding gowns. What a lovely setting for a garden wedding.

Darling Daughter 2 photographs the grotto.
In order to make the rock work visible, I
had to cut out the curved benches intended
for reflection while listening to the water.

For DD2 and me it was a day to enjoy one another and the gorgeous setting. I hope you have the occasional luxury of time to spend enjoying loved ones. The hours will renew your spirit.

Thanks for stopping by!

A VISIT TO CHANDOR GARDENS, WEATHERFORD TX

Weatherford TX Courthouse

Weatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States,a western suburb of Fort Worth, and part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Nicknames are Cutting Horse Capital of the World and Peach Capital of Texas. I confess I do not know if these nicknames were bestowed by the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce, or because of the town's reputation.

When I first moved to the western edge of the Metroplex my mom's friends from Lubbock kept asking her if I’d toured Chandor Gardens in Weatherford yet. Until they did, I'd never heard of Chandor Gardens. And there's a reason. For many years the gardens were closed and in a state of disrepair. One courageous and preservation-minded couple, Charles and Melody Bradford, stepped in and restored the grounds, then sold the property to the City of Weatherford. This spring, I learned that the gardens were having a special discounted-price open house, and Darling Daughter 2 and I attended. We're both fans of discounts, gardens, tours, and goofing off in general. A first trip to Chandor Gardens for each of us, we were pleased to tour this beautiful property.

But that’s the shortened version. Here’s a more complete story.

Douglas Chandor painting

Douglas Granvil Chandor was born 20 August 1897 to Lucy May (Newton) and John Arthur Chandor in Surrey, England. World War I began a few months after he completed his education at Radley, and at seventeen he joined the Life Guards, First Regiment of Household Cavalry. Later, he served as a member of the celebrated Scottish Lovat Scouts.

In 1918 Chandor was discharged from the Scouts after contracting typhoid and severely damaging his knee. He recuperated in Surrey, then pursued his childhood interest of art. In 1919, he received his first major commission, to paint Sir Edward Marshall-Hall, K.C. When it was displayed at the British Royal Academy Exhibition, the portrait attracted further offers for the young artist, including a commission to paint the Prince of Wales, a work he completed in 1921. The painting drew "half of London" to the Grieves Gallery. Two years later Chandor accepted an invitation to portray the prime ministers of the British empire at work during the Imperial Conference held in London at 10 Downing Street.

View of Japanese bridge

Included among the invitations was a request to paint President Herbert Hoover, Vice President Charles Curtis, and the entire cabinet. Chandor's painting of Hoover, combined with his earlier portraits of British aristocrats, established his reputation as a painter of the world's political leaders. During his career he painted about 300 portraits. Significant subjects included President Gerardo Machado y Morales of Cuba, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, Samuel T. (Sam) Rayburn, and President Franklin Roosevelt. His portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt is believed to be the only one for which she formally posed; he also painted Sara Delano Roosevelt and the wives of James and Elliott Roosevelt.

Spirea (bridal wreath) and arbor

Chandor was divorced from Pamela (Trelawny) in 1932 and married Ina Kuteman Hill of Weatherford, Texas, in 1934. He returned with his wife to her native city where they lived in the family mansion. I love living in Texas, so please don't misunderstand me, but I've been to England. Talk about culture shock for Douglas Chandor. After the green of his native country, his first glimpse of Northwest Central Texas must have been a killer, but perhaps having "a family mansion" helped soften the blow, no disrespect intended. For the rest of his career Chandor spent half of each year in New York and the remaining time in Weatherford. He developed the grounds of his estate into a showplace that the Chandors named White Shadows Gardens. 

Tiered fountain

The house, which sat on a hill overlooking the city, was surrounded by an elaborate network of walls that enclosed an array of plants and trees, Chinese pagodas, a Japanese water garden, and a miniature replica of Mount Fujiyama. To most, this chalky hill in North Central Texas would seem an unlikely place for a garden of such imagination and splendor. Although his claim to fame was his talent as an artist, Douglas found his real passion as a gardener. He once told Ina that his talent for painting was merely a means that enabled him to fulfill his dreams of building a "living artwork". Douglas Chandor's destiny would be to turn these dreams into a reality.

I was pleased the Koi show up in my photo.

The gardens were carved from 4 acres of rock-hard terrain that was once a cow pasture. The project began in 1936 with the aid of picks, shovels, dynamite and mule-drawn plows. Truckloads of topsoil and tons of boulders were brought in to transform the barren cactus-dotted property into a peaceful haven enclosed by hedges and walls. Chandor devised a series of garden rooms, each with individual character and stunning views, all connected by meandering walkways. His creation combines the styles and ambiance of Chinese and English gardens with such delights as fountains, grottos, and even a mountain waterfall.

Mount Cox waterfall

Another view of Mount Cox that shows
cave-like grotto behind waterfall
(sorry about too much sun)

The Chandors worked tirelessly together in the gardens until Douglas' death from a cerebral hemhorrage after returning from a trip in 1953. Ina renamed them Chandor Gardens as a tribute to her husband. The gardens remained open to the public until shortly before her death in the late 1970s. Because there were no direct heirs, the property remained unattended, overgrown and deteriorating for 20 years.

Half of Dragon fountain

Charles and Melody Bradford purchased the estate in 1994 and took on the enormous task of restoring the gardens and home. In what could only be described as a true labor of love, they painstakingly spent years clearing and cleaning away the debris of decades of neglect. Many large old trees, Douglas' original wisteria and boxwood plantings, and his magical hardscapes remained. Everything else was replanted by the Bradfords, and thanks to their efforts Chandor Gardens was once again transformed into a lush tranquil delight.

Stone of the Immortals,
sculpted by  Douglas Chandor. This
was my least favorite feature.

In time, the Bradford's had completely restored the property and decided to sell and offered the gardens to the City of Weatherford. They must have given the City a really good deal, because Weatherford  purchased Chandor Gardens in May 2002. After minor renovations necessary for compliance with the American Disabilities Act and City building codes, Chandor was re-opened to the public in the fall of 2002.

I know they're everywhere, but purple
iris were my mom's favorite flower

The gardens are available for public and private tours. The gardens along with the Chandor mansion are available for rental, and are popular venues for wedding ceremonies and receptions, photography, meetings, and special events...and for just strolling through for photos and relaxation..A walk in a garden is always time well spent!


Thanks to Wikipedia, http://www.ci.weatherford.tx.us/index.aspx?NID=457
and http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fch17

Thanks for stopping by!