Named One of the Top 5 Gardens
in North America
Meet Our Donors
My Biggest Love
Continuing our occasional series, we ask a new member of the Ladew Society, Bartie Cole, why she and her husband, Charlie, have decided to include Ladew in their estate plans.
“Ladew is my biggest love,” says Bartie Cole, a long-time supporter and volunteer at Ladew. After her handsome family and her own garden, of course, Ladew is her primary interest. It was important to Bartie and her husband, Charlie, to show that commitment by joining the Ladew Society, and making a gift to Ladew in their will.
Bartie is always impressed by the variety of plants and design in each garden room at Ladew and by the knowledge and dedication of Emily Emerick, Executive Director; Tyler Diehl, Head of Gardens; and their expert team. “They are good leaders, fun to work with and there is a real sense of family. So much is accomplished,” she compliments.
Bartie’s favorite spot at Ladew: the vista over the terraces to the Great Bowl. “This took vision,” she says, “an understanding of the bigger picture. Spectacular!” Bartie says she particularly enjoys being part of the Garden Committee that gathers monthly to review the garden and help the professional staff with forthcoming plans. “I feel that I get so much more out of these meetings than I give,” she declares with her signature modesty.
“I hope others have my good fortune to find Ladew and like me, they have the chance to discover something new on every visit.”
In fact, Bartie Cole is an accomplished gardener. Her first gar- den as a newly-wed was in the Greenspring Valley southwest of Ladew and began with the help of her mother-in-law, a formidable gardener. She enrolled Bartie to help her divide perennials on the understanding that Bartie could take home the extras. “I planted a strip about 3 feet by 10 with rather pathetic clumps of cottage garden favorites,” she reminisces. Then, smitten, she “just kept planting,” creating an extensive garden regularly- featured on tours and in publications. Her second garden, in Lutherville, Maryland, is smaller in size, but not in ambition: a tapestry of color, texture and incredible variety marks it as the garden of a true plantswoman with a designer’s eye. Bartie says her secret is that she is always learning, always relishing a new discovery.
Bartie has brought that love of sharing and acquiring knowledge to Ladew’s Spring and Fall Lecture Series for many years. Her connections within the world of horticulture and design are extensive and she has helped to create an impressive roster of speakers covering 5 key areas: plants and horticulture; landscape design; floral design; interior design and art; and natural history and the environment. Bartie hopes others find as much enjoyment as she has from Ladew’s continuing education. Her current involvement and future bequest will ensure that the opportunity to learn at, and from Ladew, continues for decades to come. “Gardening is a growing passion for so many and great “therapy” in our high-speed, high-stress world,” says Bartie. “I hope others have my good fortune to find Ladew and like me, they have the chance to discover something new on every visit.”
