Ladew Topiary Gardens

Harvey Ladew was a horseman, artist, traveler, raconteur, wit, bon vivant, generous host and superb gardener who never held a job, never married and rarely completed a project. He lived on inherited wealth and spent his days wining, dining, partying, playing polo and chasing foxes. Yet when he died in 1976, he left the world a 22-acre masterpiece of a garden, now known as Ladew Topiary Gardens, that has been admired and written about by visitors from all over the world."A lot of his life was 'Been there, done that, what's next to try?

Social CalendarAug. 6: Grant-A-Wish Casino Night at Edgar's Billiard Club, 1 E. Pratt St., Suite 14. Fund-raiser for the Grant-A-Wish Foundation. Includes a pool shootout pitting WJZ-TV's Marty Bass against Lisa Willis, formerly of WBFF-TV. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets $50. Buffet and two drinks included. 410-752-8080.Aug. 9: Summer concert at Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton. Hard Travelers play. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Picnics welcome, but not pets, alcohol or athletic equipment.

Mission: To maintain, promote and nurture Ladew Topiary Gardens -- including it's 18th-century manor house and 15 formal gardens designed by the late Harvey S. Ladew, a gentleman, horseman, fox hunter, farmer, world traveler, linguist, writer, raconteur, artist, music lover, collector and horticulturist. Regarded as a 20th-century landscape architectural monument, the 22 acres of gardens have been called "the finest topiary garden in America" by the Garden Club of America. The manor house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Reflections in the grassVictorian gardeners used them to create an illusion of depth and light in the garden - and now they're popular again. They're gazing balls, whose mirrored surfaces provide a panoramic view as you move around the stand. This one, from Lillian Vernon, is made of blown glass with a cast resin base (24-inch base with ball, $99.98). Old versions can sometimes be found in antique or second-hand shops, with balls in cobalt or fuchsia.Sharp ideas about your mowerIt's about time for that annual rite of summer: cranking up the old lawn mower.

As 31-year-old Jay Marshall took his fiancee, Kim Zaicko, to her first My Lady's Manor steeplechase races yesterday, he remembered not only his three decades of watching the horses but also his high school years working at the Ladew Topiary Gardens."

There's nothing wrong with the Ladew Cafe's dinner menu that serving it in November wouldn't fix.Or here's an simpler solution: Offer the lunch menu at night.Imagine this scenario. It's 90 degrees in Baltimore, so you drive out to Monkton to have supper in the lush greenness of Ladew Topiary Gardens. You've heard that the respected Brass Elephant Caterers has taken over Ladew's cafe, so how can it miss?In spite of the heat, it's pleasant on the cafe's brick patio, what with the large, fragrant gardenia plant at its center, the perennials around the stone wall, the deep woods as backdrop.

Reister's Towne FestivalEnjoy a weekend of down-home family fun at this year's Reister's Towne Festival. See live entertainment from the Daryl Davis Band, Bob Plunkert, Razin Kane, the Mood Swings, the Kindersingers and many others. Catch rising country music star Rhett Akins ("That Ain't My Truck" and "I Brake for Brunettes") as he performs 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Sunday.Also browse arts and crafts and food vendors from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Watch a parade of floats, marching bands, antique cars and fire engines move from Franklin High School, 12000 Reisterstown Road, to Franklin Middle School, 10 Cockeys Mill Road, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday.

There'll be a lot of horsing around today behind Ladew Topiary Gardens in Harford County.The Maryland Polo Club, which leases about 60 acres behind the topiary gardens for practice and games, is host to the United States Polo Association Fred Peterson Memorial Tournament, featuring six teams from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.The tournament, sanctioned by the United States Polo Association, is one of the premier matches in the state.It was named for Fred Peterson, an avid horseman who died in 1989 and whose namesake son is president of the club, which is nearly 10 years old."

Defender's DayGo back in time and meet one of American history's most notable couples, as Mr. and Mrs. Francis Scott Key come to life at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Saturday. Living-history actors Alan Gephardt and Sonia Socha portray the couple. Hear Mr. Key's recollections of the bombs bursting in air as he recounts tales of the bombardment of Baltimore in 1814. And listen in as Mrs. Key describes her hectic life -- married to the famous Georgetown lawyer and raising 11 children.

Network 2000 is an organization of businesswomen whose mission is to advance the cause of women in the corporateworld. Members of this group visited Pin Tail Point Farm on the Eastern Shore for their recent annual retreat. Not only did they get to stay at a great "think tank" -- Pin Tail -- they also got to visit the nearby weekend home of Deborah Jennings, Network president and a Piper & Marbury partner, and her attorney husband, Philip Sutley. The couple held a lovely party on the eve of the retreat.

Moms, it's your weekend. And if you're the kind who wants to spend it having fun with the family - instead of holed up solo with a glass of wine and a good book - there are plenty of kid-friendly activities to choose from around town. You can explore the outdoor beauty at Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton and take a free tour of art depicting the roles of women at the Walters. Help your kids make your Mother's Day gift (hey, at least that way you're sure to get one) at a local library. Take in a concert that explores the relationships between mothers and daughters.

With spring here, the change of season has Emily Emerick and her staff at Ladew Topiary Gardens hopping. Emerick, executive director of the historic house and gardens in Harford County, spent recent weeks prepping for the March 28 opening of the 2009 season. At Ladew, she's doing something she has loved since she was 4 years old. The Towson native's earliest memories revolve around watching her mother in a denim wrapped skirt and a bandanna preparing garden beds and planting rhubarb, asparagus and strawberries.

Even if you're trying to economize this holiday, you don't have to give up greenery. For as little as $8, you can make a potted topiary plant that will not only enliven your holiday table this year, but in holidays to come. "They're easy to care for and they last for years," says Steven Winterfeldt, a horticulturist at Jackson & Perkins, a nursery in Hodges, S.C. Topiaries are living plants that have been trained into distinctive shapes, an art form that started with the Greeks and Romans.

Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, is holding a series of talks by its professional gardeners, who will give behind-the-scenes views of plant care and demonstrations this spring and summer. "In the Garden" includes a nature walk at 9:30 a.m., before the program. The cost is $10 for nonmembers and free for members. Scheduled programs are: composting, May 1; guided walking tour of trees and shrubs, May 5; wisteria pruning, June 26; espalier pruning, July 1; yew shearing, July 8; pond care, July 15; climbing rose pruning, July 22; boxwood shearing, July 29; repotting, Aug. 12; turf maintenance, Aug. 19; hemlock shearing, Sept.

AN EYE FOR ORCHIDS Karen Messick's nature photography covers the minutiae of insects to the outstretched sky. The area photographer's latest up-close subject is the orchid. The flower's variety of sharp colors, patterns and symmetry takes center stage Wednesday, when Valley Framing and Fine Art opens an exhibit of her work. The wine-and-cheese reception offers a chance to meet Messick, and the exhibit runs through May 21. ...................... The opening at Valley Framing and Fine Art, 2 Sherwood Road, Cockeysville, is 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Donna Hepner said she generally avoids nature whenever she can. But when the opportunity arose to take an outdoor art class, she took it. On a recent afternoon, she sat in a garden and sketched reflections of a tree in a pond, with ink, pencils, and charcoal. As she made marks on the paper, her work took on life. "When you create art outdoors you need to be relaxed and open," said Hepner, 41, of Joppa. "If you try to control nature, it doesn't work well." Hepner was one of several students who participated in art classes offered by the Maryland Institute College of Art at Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton.

CHRISTOPHER H.C. WEEKS of Bel Air, MD. Loving brother of Mary R. Ranneberger. Also survived by two nephews, Benjamin G. Ranneberger and Seth C. Ranneberger. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Alban's Anglican Church, Joppa, MD on Saturday, September 8, 2007 at 5 p.m. Friends may call at the church from 4-5 p.m. prior to the service. Those who desire, may contribute to Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111. Memory tributes may be sent to the family at: mccomasfuneralhome.

RV show The lowdown -- More than 5 1/2 acres of motor homes, travel trailers and tent campers will be on display at the Maryland Recreational Vehicle Show this weekend at the state fairgrounds. The show will also feature RV accessories, campground displays and RV travel exhibits. If you go -- The show runs tomorrow-Sunday and Feb. 23-25 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $8 (children younger than 12 free)

TODAY MOUNT VERNON HOLLY TOUR Visitors can tour lush homes, elaborate rowhouses and ornate historic buildings, all restored and redecorated, in Mount Vernon, during the self-guided walking tour, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. today. Tickets are $25. 443-524-2370 or hollytour.com. FRIDAY-DEC. 10 CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE The annual holiday celebration includes tours of the decorated Ladew Manor House, live music, visits with Santa and a greens sale, including kissing balls, topiaries, boxwood trees, wreaths and more, at Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, Friday, Saturday and Dec. 10. Hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Admission $10; $8 seniors and students; $2 ages 12 and younger.

WEDNESDAY TREE-CARE WORKSHOP Learn about tree care with arborist Walt Kipp, 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. Wednesday at Adkins Arboretum, 12610 Eveland Road, Ridgely. Participants will learn to identify weather damage, disease and insect infestation in trees, as well as learn how to work around root systems and when it's best to prune. $10-$12. 410-634-2847 or adkinsarboretum.org. VIRTUAL TOUR OF LADEW Ladew Topiary Gardens' 30-year senior docent Martha Nichols will take visitors on a "Virtual Tour of the Ladew Home and Gardens" at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Weinberg House, 16 Old Court Road, Pikesville.