Far Hills -- Vila Garden

Object Details

General: Designed by Nelva M. Weber, this was the garden of George R. and Betty Vila. At the rear of the Colonial-style house Weber created a brick wall to enclose and separate a lawn and garden area from adjacent outbuildings and the open countryside. An elevated, brick-walled terrace with outdoor seating and brick walkways helped to unify the design. Garden borders, boxwood, and flowering trees and shrubs such as forsythia provided visual interest, while ornamental features included a bell, a martin house, and a whimsical fox sculpture atop one of the brick walls. Several wooden gates and doors provided additional decorative as well as utilitarian touches to the overall design.; Additional documentation relating to the garden may be found in the Nelva Weber Papers in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections of the Cornell University Library.; Persons associated with the garden include: Nelva M. Weber (landscape architect, circa 1966) and George R. and Betty Vila (former owners, circa 1966).

Place: Vila Garden (Far Hills, New Jersey); United States of America -- New Jersey -- Somerset County -- Far Hills

See more items in: Maida Babson Adams American garden collection.; Maida Babson Adams American garden collection. / Series 1: Garden Images / New Jersey

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Maida Babson Adams American garden collection.

Collection Rights: Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Bibliography: Garden has been featured in Nelva M. Weber, How to Plan Your Own Home Landscape (Indianapolis/New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1976), pp. 110 and 215.

Collection Restrictions: Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Related Materials: Vila Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (17 safety film negatives; 11 contact prints; 3 photographic prints)