Slack Farms: The Garden Project 2025
5 DAYS: IN AND AROUND THE BOXWOOD ALLÉE THE GARDENS ARE REVITALIZED AT WOODLAWN
Friday, 11th July 2025
Today was our first day at Woodlawn Farm. We started together with a lovely breakfast in the morning. Afterwards we met at the Tidewater Barn to talk about the plan for the day. One of our duties was to weed the place in front of the Tidewater Barn where the wedding receptions take place, which took quite some time. Even though it was a little bit of “dirty work”, it definitely paid off. Seeing the results of our work was quite satisfying (before and after, below). Furthermore, we also helped prepare for the wedding reception, cleaning chairs and tables and setting linens. It was really interesting to look behind the scenes and get to know how much preparation goes into such an event.
Before: Weeds detract from an otherwise nice stretch of pebbled walkway. After: Lovely how the Walnut tree now seems so much more open! Notice also we’re getting ready to set an arch into the landscape!
After work we spent the afternoon together and went out for dinner to Chipotle, where we had some very delicious burritos. Our first taste of American Fast Food was not disappointing. All in all, we can say it was a great first day here at Woodlawn!
— Magda
Paths always lead somewhere, and here’s what’s on the agenda next, with Klara and Magda explaining how we improved the Boxwood Allé with its special swag lights and twinkle lights at nighttime. More to come tomorrow!
Saturday, 12th July 2025
On the second day, we started with several projects, which we had to complete before the wedding! The first one was painting the garden furniture. When we were about to start with this task, we discovered that instead of a paint or stain, we had a varnish in front of us. After realizing this, Maggie and I went to Donnie Tennyson’s local hardware store and bought two cans of a suitable semi-transparent stain (we thought this would be somewhat like a cross between a thin stain and a thicker paint). When we arrived back at Woodlawn, we opened the cans and were very surprised because the two cans of stain, both noted as Cedar color with similar inventory numbers, showed a huge difference in color. However, after we had mixed the paint thoroughly, the color transformed to the same cedar stain we expected. Lesson of the Day: always mix your stains and paints thoroughly. It was then all hands on deck and we seven interns eagerly painted the garden furniture. After about two hours, the furniture shone in its new splendor. Second Lesson of the Day: At the end of the day, mixed paints and a team spirit really matter.
— Sylvia
Here is the teak chair and side table, weathered into a pretty silver-grey somewhat adrift….
And here he is with his new Cedar stain and two love chairs and cocktail tables, just waiting to be part of the cocktail hour.
And the Cedar-stained wedding arch from Madelyn and Ethan’s wedding, positioned to be set into the Boxwood Allée. The view looks promising!
Tuesday, 15th July 2025
Another overlapping project was bringing the white garden into good form again. A white garden is a garden design which is characterized by only using plants with white or silver blooms. However, it’s important to not forget the other elements that will hold the whole garden concept together; it is why some dark green plants are recommended to complement the white and silver plantings. The contrast between white flowers and green plants gives the garden interest and depth, popping white and subtle silver shades (Lamb’s Tongue, for example), against a rich and dark back drop.
White gardens became popular through the famous White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle in England, created by Vita Sackville-West in the first part of the 20th century. These gardens are admired and copied for their simplicity and timeless beauty.
So on this day we weeded the hostas, Lamb’s Tongue and pruned and shaped the boxwoods. Amazing what a difference a little weeding and pruning can do for a garden!.
— Mona
The garden was obscured by weeds, and as we pruned and weeded, the most lovely boxwood and hosta garden emerged.
Wednesday, 16th July 2025
Today we continued to make the new “room” a bit nicer and tidier. Thanks to Artem, he came up with the idea of integrating the arch left behind by a wedding couple into the landscape. In order to still have a "long view", the arch was integrated at a side exit of the boxwood avenue instead of the end. Around five branches had to be sawn off to achieve the desired result. At the beginning, we were unfortunately unsuccessful with a weak and blunt hand saw and therefore had to switch to a more stable version. In the end, the effort was absolutely worth it and the result is outstanding. The desired long view was not interrupted, only improved and so there is a completely new photo location for the guests that nobody would have expected before.
- Valentina Reisecker
Selina on the ladder, removing some of the slats and guiding the end into a pocket between boxwood limbs.
A magnificent view to the Potomac River in the distance. We’ll have to decide now where to put the ornate Victorian loveseat with the pink and white tiled seat.
Wednesday, 16th July 2025
More ahead…