More Of The Huntington Rose Garden (Faux Bois)

Recently restored faux bois trees framed by 'Fourth Of July' roses:
Besides our brief tour led by Rose Garden Curator Tom Carruth, we also had a chance to hear about the restoration of the one hundred faux bois tree sculptures in the Japanese and Rose gardens.  Our guide was the man restoring the sculptures, Terence Eagan.
The man himself:
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Mr. Eagan gave a fascinating summary of his four year (so far) restoration project.  The original sculptures were done nearly 100 years ago, and they were beginning to deteriorate due to water finding its way into air pockets within the sculptures. 
Faux bois humor:
 photo hrg5499_zps6b581c18.jpg  When Mr. Eagan does a repair, he must be absolutely certain to leave no air pockets.   He uses a special mixture of concrete and acrylic rather than water, so that water doesn't rust the metal supports that give the concrete structural strength.  
Faux bois
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There is an interior structure;  the visible portion is another layer that is laid on top, like icing on a cake.  Mr. Eagan must work quickly because concrete hardens within a brief span of time--he is able to stretch out the working time of the concrete by keeping it in pastry-bags sunk into ice.  
Real bois
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Mr. Eagan dug through the Huntington records trying to discover the names of the unknown artists who did the original work ninety years ago.  He has a guess, but there is no documented proof as to who the men were, or how they came by their craft.  
Clytostoma callistegioides vine on faux bois sculptures:
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Mr. Eagan also discussed one thing I've always wondered about:  at the southern end of the long Rose Garden faux bois pergola, about twenty of the trees are markedly different from the rest of the trees in the Japanese and Rose gardens.  They have a different style and texture, and seem to be of a different type of tree.  Why?  Mr. Eagan thought it might have been a case of master and apprentice--the apprentice was set to work in one part of the garden while the master worked in another.  No one knows for sure.  
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After that interesting tour, we wandered around the rose garden and inhaled the fragrance and beauty.
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'Julia Child'
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The red climber might be 'Dublin Bay':
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The mulch that covers the rose garden beds is made up of trees on the property that were blown down in a wind storm a few years ago.  They return now to the soil from which they grew.
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Tamora in front, Icebergs in the distance:
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In the rose garden, there are views into the Herb garden.  
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And the nearby Shakespeare Garden.
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Truly a piece of Eden...
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Comments

  1. I cannot say anything else then : SOOOO BEAUTIFULLLLLL !!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. I hope you get to visit it someday soon! :^)

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  2. Replies
    1. It made us happy to see so many roses looking so healthy and well-cared for.

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  3. Thank you. I feel extremely proud to save something that Mr. Huntington intended to share with us forever.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your painstaking craftsmanship and art. Your work is beautiful.

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  4. A very thorough account of the science and craft of my project is outlined on this page of my website:
    http://www.fauxboisconcrete.info/faux-bois-step-by-step-with-pictures.html

    ReplyDelete

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